Havila Voyages announced in a press release that a Norwegian consortium has developed a new solution for decarbonizing maritime transport by capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) power trains.

The LNGameChanger project is led by HAV Group, Havila Voyages, Molgas Norway (formerly Gasnor) and SINTEF. The research project was unveiled Wednesday at a press conference onboard the Havila Capella.

“The LNGameChanger project aims to create the basis of a new product in the form of a low-or zero-emission solution for the maritime industry, strongly positioned for a growing LNG market and infrastructure with superior efficiency to alternative solutions,” said Gunnar Larsen, CEO of HAV Group.

“If this objective is achieved, LNG can become not only a transitional fuel but a permanently viable option in low-emission maritime transport, alongside, for example, hydrogen,” added Larsen.

Project owner HAV Group said its ambition is to mature the solution towards commercialization and include it in the company’s growing portfolio of low- and zero-emission solutions to the maritime sector.

“We have clear ambitions to move towards carbon neutrality and eventually zero emissions, and that can be done with our current fleet. This project is of great interest for us as our main power source today is LNG. We are eagerly awaiting the results and possibilities that lay ahead,” said Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages.

The LNGameChanger project’s primary objective is to design a decarbonized maritime LNG-fuelled power train combining solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and high-efficiency onboard CO2 liquefaction and storage, resulting in a CO2-equivalent intensity between the 2045 and 2050 emission limits.

The secondary objectives are to confirm energy efficiency and emission targets for the SOFC power train with CO2 capture in stand-alone mode.

LNGameChanger will also address the infrastructure needs related to decentralized CO2 collection and transport in port, including combining this logistically with LNG distribution.

According to the press release, the project has significant market potential, as international shipping carries around 80 percent of traded goods. While LNG only accounts for about four percent of the fuel supply, the number of LNG-powered ships is predicted to increase substantially.

The Norwegian Research Council has awarded LNGameChanger a grant of approximately NOK 5 million over the project’s two-year duration, providing ground for research activities by SINTEF.

Photo: What a potential installation could look like on a Havila ship.