Hurtigruten inks deal for biogas-ready fuel solutions

Six Hurtigruten passenger ships will be retrofitted with biogas-ready fuel gas supply systems (FGSS) under a contract announced by marine solutions and integration company Høglund.

In partnership with HB Hunte Engineering, Høglund will design and engineer customised tank and FGSS solutions for the six Hurtigruten passenger vessels, which will be able to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied biogas (LBG).

Hurtigruten will install the fuel gas supply systems together with large batteries onboard its vessels, replacing engines currently powered by marine gas oil (MGO). The project is the first to convert a large passenger ship to run on LBG.

“We are tremendously excited to be involved in such a forward-looking project, which will undoubtedly set a new benchmark for low-carbon emissions in the rapidly evolving cruise sector,” said Peter Morsbach, project director at Høglund Gas Solutions.

“Hurtigruten’s commitment to the environment and the long-term prosperity of the cruise sector marries well with Høglund’s own vision and values, and we look forward to supporting them in their ambition to become the world’s greenest cruise company.”

HB Hunte will provide mechanical gas engineering and gas tank designs as part of the contract.

“We created an optimised tank design for the series of six vessels, combining state-of-the-art technology with an innovative shape including proven reliability and safety specifically designed for Hurtigruten’s fleet of ships,” said Frerk Brand, managing director of HB Hunte.

In November 2018, Hurtigruten announced its intention to power cruise ships with LBG produced from dead fish and other organic waste. Following retrofit, the six vessels are expected enter into service by 2021.