Following three years of development, the world's first gas-driven supply ship has been comissioned. The Viking Energy, one of two ships to be delivered this year, will be leased to Statoil for 10 years.
The technology developed for Viking Energy is an important contribution to limiting maritime-industry emissions. 40 percent of the emissions of NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) come from the maritime sector, including coastal and offshore vessels and the fisheries industry.
Reducing emissions from ships is therefore crucial to attaining national targets. Using gas reduces CO2 emissions by about 20 percent and NOx emissions by about 85 percent. The use of gas on Viking Energy will reduce NOx emissions by about 200 tonnes a year, the equivalent of the total emissions from about 20 000 automobiles.
DNV has carried out risk analyses systematically and extensively as part of this development. It has been a prerequisite that this ship is to be at least as safe as similar new, conventional ships.
The Norwegian Maritime Directorate and DNV now have regulations for gas-driven ships. No other national authorities or classification societies have similar regulations.