Norway’s Møre Sjø orders hydrogen-powered bulk carrier duo

Norwegian shipping company Møre Sjø is placing its bets on hydrogen as an alternative marine fuel with an order for the construction of two emission-free hydrogen-powered bulk carriers at Gelibolu Shipyard in Türkiye. The company also secured bunker supplies from hydrogen producer GreenH.

The newbuilds, which will have a length of 85 meters and a deadweight of 4,000 tons, will mainly operate in northern and northwestern Norway, transporting sand, stone, and asphalt. As disclosed, one of the ships has already been leased to Nordasfalt.

Marine engineering company Naval Dynamics designed the ships, while German technology company e-Cap Marine was selected to provide onboard hydrogen solutions.

The ships, which are said to be “the world’s first hydrogen-powered bulk carriers”, are slated for delivery in 2027, renewing and doubling Møre Sjø’s fleet. The total price for the two ships was not revealed.

The company has received investment support from ENOVA and the NOx Fund, as well as financial assistance from NRP and technical assistance from the Green Shipping Program for this project. 

“We have developed this project over several years, received good support and found a concept for the new ships that we have great faith in. Existing bulk carriers are outdated, and we therefore had to think completely new. After a careful assessment of technology maturity, cost-effectiveness and secure access to fuel, the choice fell on hydrogen ships with hydrogen fuel cells,” said Torstein Holsvik, Technical Director at Møre Sjø.

“When the ships are completed in early 2027, we expect that the price of hydrogen and the price of marine gas oil, which could have been an alternative, will be in line. All fossil fuels will gradually be subject to increased CO2 taxes, hydrogen will not. Low electricity prices for hydrogen production in the North, combined with support from Enova and the NOx Fund, have weighed heavily in the choice of fuel. We do not criticize others who think differently, but after thorough preparation, we chose compressed hydrogen.”

GreenH will supply the newbuild ships with hydrogen produced at several of its facilities. The company has planned production facilities in Hammerfest, Bodø, Sandnessjøen, Kristiansund, Rogaland, and Slagetangen in Tønsberg municipality.