Enova SF, a Norwegian government agency, has granted Viridis Bulk Carriers financial support of NOK 152m ($14.1m) for the construction of two ammonia-powered bulk carriers.
The investment grant is an important and necessary step to realize the carbon free transportation system including ships, cargo and bunkering that Viridis Bulk Carriers and its ecosystem of partners have developed for the past three years.
Viridis Bulk Carriers expect to place orders for ships around year end 2023, with deliveries starting in 2025.
This financial support is part of a 709m NOK package from Enova, which is shared between a number of vessels and charging solutions for emission-free maritime transport.
The two ammonia-powered bulk carriers, designed by Kongsberg Maritime, will have a similar sailing range as the current fleet of short sea bulk vessels, and will maintain the crew and societal safety at the level of conventional vessels.
The company has collaborated with the eight charterers in the ‘Flexbulk NH3 Ammonia Power’ consortium project to ensure that cargo capacities and operational capabilities are just as future-proof as the power technology and emissions reductions.
Ocean Hyway Cluster has the role as project controller.
“This is a key milestone in our long-term commitment to decarbonize the short sea bulk market together with forward-thinking clients and leading technology makers,” says Espen Nordstrøm, co-founder and board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
Viridis stated that bunkering infrastructure was a key challenge that the company’s partners had been working to solve.
Together with Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane Fuel Solutions, and others, Viridis is making sure that ammonia fuel will be available by the time the vessels start operations.
“The ENOVA grant enables construction of these highly innovative vessels, which we expect will be amongst the very first ships to kickstart the ammonia-powered green shift in shipping,” says André Risholm, co-founder and board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
“We are building a new fuel value chain by leveraging partnerships from production to bunkering to providing an ammonia-powered shipping service. We solve the “chicken-and-egg” dilemma by having them both appear at the same time,” concluded Peder N. Jarlsby, board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
