Norwegian Maritime Authority News

CIMAC and the Maritime Battery Forum have published the second paper on the environmental impact of batteries in deep-sea shipping concluding that the transition to battery-powered deep-sea vessels is no longer constrained primarily by technical or regulatory limitations but rather by the human and organizational readiness.Class societies, flag states, and international standards organizations have all developed rules and guidelines that sufficiently address the technical and safety requirements for implementing battery systems on ocean-going vessels.However…

A new era of offshore operations has begun with the successful delivery of REACH REMOTE 1, a 24-metre unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed by Kongsberg Maritime. This ground-breaking achievement marks a significant milestone through collaboration between Kongsberg Maritime, REACH SUBSEA ASA, Massterly, and Trosvik Maritime.Designed to revolutionise offshore operations, the REACH REMOTE 1 is packed with cutting-edge KONGSBERG technology. Its delivery follows a programme of intensive sea trials…

ProZero delivered a 15m ProZero passenger vessel to Metro-Opus, a provider of high-speed ferry services in Norway, approved for operations by the Norwegian Maritime Authority.The vessel was handed over to Metro-Opus Project Manager Rasmus Husby Larsen by Jakob Frost, co-owner of the shipyard. Designed and built with ProZero's modular construction approach, the vessel combines latest technology, universal design principles, and optimized hull design. It is certified to accommodate 12 passengers…

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), a forum of flag states and classification societies, has released a new report offering guidelines and key safety considerations for developing liquefied hydrogen bunkering systems and procedures.The report underlines the potential use of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel to meet the IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships by 2050. It acknowledges the challenges associated with bunkering hydrogen as marine fuel and as a maritime cargo…

Kongsberg Maritime has received Approval in Principle from classification society DNV to enable a key role to be transferred from a ship to a shore-based control center.The move will enable the role of Chief Engineer to be located in a Remote Operations Centre (ROC), where the duties can be carried out from a desk-based workstation, instead of onboard a vessel.From the workstation, the Chief Engineer will be able to monitor and control systems including the Power Management System, ballast water system and deck machinery on three vessels.

Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacity…

A new report offers safety recommendations for ship owners and port authorities seeking to establish green shipping corridors.As the shipping industry continues to make progress toward its decarbonization goals, a number of green shipping corridors are being being set up as maritime routes that help to enable the use of low- and zero-emission lifecycle fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, as well as other green technologies. To date, more than 30 green shipping corridors…

TECO 2030 and Umoe Mandal have delivered a documentation package to the Norwegian Maritime Authority for an approval in principle application of the world’s first fuel cell high-speed vessel design.The designed vessel is designed to be installed with a multimegawatt fuel cell system for full propulsion.The ship will be constructed based on Umoe Mandal’s proven Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) Surface Effect Ship (SES) technology and with the air-cushion catamaran design it will offer low imprint on surrounding environment…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has joined as an associate member, bringing regulatory and technological expertise to further support MTF’s objectives.Today, the Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), whose founding members include ABS, DNV, Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the U.K.’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, welcomed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as an associate member…

Ship classification organization ABS said Tuesday it had joined an elite working group comprised of global maritime leaders to study onboard carbon capture technologies.The collaborative project brings together ABS, Diana Shipping Services S.A., Equinor ASA, GasLog LNG Services Ltd., Maran Gas Maritime Inc., Minerva Gas Inc., Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises S.A., Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), Prime Tanker Management Inc., Solvang ASA, Springfield Shipping Co.

A new, first-of-its-kind ferry that runs on liquid hydrogen has entered service for Norwegian operator Norled, breaking new ground for cleaner vessel operations.The 80-car ferry MF Hydra in recent weeks has been undergoing tests and sea trials, officially entering service with approval from the Norwegian Maritime Authority on March 31. The vessel services a triangular route between Hjelmeland, Skipavik and Nesvik in Norway, using 4 tonnes of liquid hydrogen, two 200 kW fuel cells, a 1.36—1.5 MWh battery, and two 440 kW diesel generators.

Apps, big data, tech, software and cutting-edge innovation were hallmarks at last year’s Sea Tech conference in Brest, France. During one session, for example, on electronic charting, the speakers made reference to “data as fuel.” For vessel operations, data was called a resource just like diesel or LNG or lithium batteries. The reference was usually to big data, i.e., almost boundless information flowing like a gusher from a firehose, the new force driving applications to set routing…

Apps, big data, tech, software and cutting-edge innovation were hallmarks at last year’s Sea Tech conference in Brest, France. During one session, for example, on electronic charting, the speakers made reference to “data as fuel.” For vessel operations, data was called a resource just like diesel or LNG or lithium batteries. The reference was usually to big data, i.e., almost boundless information flowing like a gusher from a firehose, the new force driving applications to set routing…

USEA Ocean Data has received preliminary approval to build and operate a 24-meter uncrewed vessel on Norwegian waters reports the company's CEO, Felipe Lima.USEA has developed a unique technology for safe seabed data acquisition with the help of unmanned vessels and autonomous underwater vehicles. Right after New Year came the preliminary validation that the company needed to build and operate a the vessel on Norwegian waters."We are very few companies who have passed such preliminary assessment from the Norwegian Maritime Authority…

Norway-based company Amon Maritime has launched Amon Offshore - a new company focused on the offshore oil and gas market – with plans to operate carbon-free platform supply vessels. The ship has already received approval in principle from DNV and preliminary flag approval from the Norwegian Maritime Authority, Amon Maritime said. Amon Offshore has been created to build, own and operate a fleet of ammonia-powered supply ships for the Norwegian Continental Shelf. "The ships have been developed to meet oil companies’ current and future offshore logistics needs…

Supply chain management and logistics solutions firm DB Schenker plans to build a fully-electric, zero-emission, un-crewed coastal container feeder to serve the route between Ikornnes quay and the Port of Ålesund in Norway. DB Schenker, and its cooperation partners, the furniture giant Ekornes and vessel designers Naval Dynamics, in addition to KONGSBERG and Massterly, aim to replace the traditional feeder vessels utilized along this stretch of the Norwegian coastline.The new autonomous and electric…

Saipem 7000 - File Photo - Credit:Saipem Saipem 7000, Saipem's giant semi-submersible crane vessel, tilted in a fjord in Norway with 275 people aboard, the Norwegian news website vg.no has reported.According to the website, which cited eyewitness accounts,  "loud bangs" could be heard on Thursday morning before the 197.95 meters long vessel, with a free deck area of 9,000 m2, listed in Åmøyfjorden outside Stavanger.VG also said there were 275 people on board, and said that everyone was accounted for, according to police.

Energy storage systems (ESS) supplier Corvus Energy has appointed Kolbjørn Berge as senior vice president global regulatory affairs effective February 1.Previous to joining Corvus Energy, Berge worked for the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), responsible for the decarbonization of shipping. Berge’s focus has been safety and regulations for green solutions and the design of current national and international maritime regulations. He has been involved in numerous projects and a driving force in developing the regulations for the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG)…

Classification society DNV has introduced the shipping industry’s first competence standard for vessel remote control center operators (RCCO). The standard is supported by a new recommended practice that offers a certification scheme for RCCOs. Together, they provide a framework for training, assessing, and certifying personnel working in remote-control centers that support or manage operations at sea. Intelligent software systems and enhanced ship-to-shore-connectivity have laid the groundwork for the growth of remote solutions and autonomy in shipping.

Knut Arild Hareide has been appointed by the King in the Council of State as Director General of Navigation and Shipping for the Norwegian Maritime Authority for a period of six years. Hareide will take up the role on January 1, 2022."We are delighted to congratulate Knut Arild Hareide on his appointment and look forward to working with him in the years to come," says Acting Director General of Navigation and Shipping, Lars Alvestad.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries…

In mid-September, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center issued the 35th USCG Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate after a detailed review of Seattle-based manufacturer oneTank, LLC’s type approval application determined its system met the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.The recent U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Approval, which follows the DNV GL Certificate of Approval awarded on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority in compliance with the International Maritime Organization BWMS Code in July 2020…

Ecochlor received IMO BWMS Code Type Approval for its EcoOne and EcoOne Hybrid BWMSs from the Norwegian Maritime Authority. This certification is an amendment to Ecochlor’s existing BWMS Type Approval and is in accordance with the recent and more stringent standards set by IMO Resolution MEPC.300 (72), Code for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS Code).In September 2021 Eochlor received IMO BWMS Code Type Approval for these systems and are on track to get USCG Type Approval by the end of the year…

Navigator Gas was awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) for an ammonia fueled gas carrier design from DNV. The new design draws together a consortium including MAN Energy Solutions, Babcock International and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), all of which have collaborated with Navigator Gas to earn the AiP.The design earned the AiP based on the special features notation (GF NH3) under DNV’s new rules for the use of ammonia as fuel in gas carriers. DNV, alongside the NMA…