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Alternative Fuels

Torvald Klaveness: Zero emission deep sea shipping not as expensive as perceived

‘Given that the ship involved is a bulk carrier, other international conventions specific to pollution damage caused by oil tankers do not apply in this case,’ it said.
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Klaveness summer students 2020

Norwegian deep sea shipping company Torvald Klaveness on Thursday (13 August) said students in its summer-intern program explored different zero emission concepts and found the best zero emissions solution for Klaveness Combination Carriers’(KCC) current combination carrier designs without reducing their transportation capacity or trading flexibility.  

The company said it engaged four summer interns from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Petter Nordby, Sindre Hestmo, Jon Magnus Moen, and Helle Jensen as part of KCC’s ongoing concept study of zero-emission solutions.

After working on the project over the summer, the students shared their findings at the Norwegian Shipowners Association this week presenting two potential concepts. 

Concept 1: Ammonia as an energy carrier in the future 

  • Ammonia would be the energy carrier in the first concept they investigated, based on using future ammonia fueled internal combustion engines, only requiring small modifications to the machinery system from today’s trading vessel.
  •  As a fuel, ammonia has no carbon and no direct CO2 emissions. The challenge with such a solution was identified as the low flexibility for fuel tank location due to safety and need for cooling, however tank technology and class rules are likely to develop on this front over the next years. 

Concept 2: An even more futuristic methanol solution 

  • The second concept design, and perhaps even more futuristic, was a vessel sailing on methanol as an energy carrier and converted to energy through fuel cells.
  • This would give large flexibility for tank location, but a need for storage of both fuel and CO2.
  • This concept design required larger modifications to the machinery system when compared to the vessel running on ammonia. 
  • The collected CO2 in the tank would be re-used at the next methanol bunkering, making this solution free of CO2 emissions. Such a solution could also be net CO2 negative depending on how the methanol is created, as the vessel catches and stores it onboard. 

The company noted a common factor for both fuels is that they can be produced solely by green energy in the future.  

The transition to zero emission fuels could potentially become expensive, which in turn may make shipowners, governments and other relevant stakeholders more reluctant to invest in and try out new technologies and fuel types. 

To illustrate the likely costs for end-users the students used the example of a car: 

In order to build a car, you would need a certain amount of aluminum, which requires raw materials to be carried by sea. 

With rising fuel prices, a large car (consisting of a substantial amount of aluminum) would not increase in price by more than approximately 30 USD, most likely, a whole lot less. 

“We realized that zero emissions doesn’t have to be expensive for the end user, even with more expensive fuel types such as ammonia or methanol which were the two options we explored,” said the students. 

“There are viable alternatives out there, zero emission technologies are just around the corner, and reducing GHG emissions to zero would most likely not be too costly to do – at least not for the end user. 

“But to pull it off, politicians, regulators and policymakers must act swiftly and come together and agree on how they can best support this change through appropriate initiatives, regulations and incentives”.


Photo credit: Torvald Klaveness
Published: 19 August, 2020

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Alternative Fuels

MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.
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June 19, 2026

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MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Thursday (18 July) said it has signed new supply agreements in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region to expand the use of bio-LNG marine fuel on MOL-operated LNG-fuelled car carriers.

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

MOL said the agreement makes it possible for its company to supply bio-LNG fuel for automobile carriers in the Mediterranean region, specifically Port of Malaga and Barcelona in Spain, following the bio-LNG fuel supply agreement in Western Europe, which commenced in March last year.

The bio-LNG fuel to be supplied in this initiative has a lifecycle carbon intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy consumption) of -15 g-CO2/MJ or less, from production through consumption. Furthermore, this bio-LNG fuel has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC-EU). 

“Through this supply agreement, MOL has established a framework that ensures a continuous and stable supply of bio-LNG fuel not only in Northern Europe but also in the Mediterranean,” the company said.

As part of the group’s efforts to adopt alternative fuels and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is utilising LNG-fuelled vessels as a bridge solution to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG (e-methane).

In 2025, MOL signed a bio LNG fuel supply agreement in Northwest Europe with Titan, part of the Molgas, and MOL has continued this bio LNG fuel supply agreement with the same company in 2026 as well.

 

Photo credit: Mitsui OSK Lines
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Biofuel

Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

The Danish biofuel startup raised the fund in a Series A investment round, which will provide capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in marine fuel.

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Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

Danish biofuel startup Kvasir Technologies on Thursday (18 June) said it has raised EUR 10 million (USD 11.4 million) in a Series A investment round with participation from European Energy as a new investor, alongside existing investors EIFO, Maersk Growth and Footprint Fund. 

The Series A round provides capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in fuel to be used in existing vessels.

At the same time, European Energy and Kvasir Technologies are entering into a strategic partnership by establishing the company KVEEN Biofuels, which is working towards the construction of a commercial-scale plant to produce biofuels using Kvasir Technologies’ patented technology.

“This investment round enables us to take the next crucial steps in developing and scaling our technology. At the same time, it underlines that there is still strong support for solutions that can deliver real climate impact in the maritime sector,” said Joachim Bachmann Nielsen, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and CEO of Kvasir Technologies.

Kvasir Technologies, a spin-out from research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has developed a new technology to convert a wide range of non-edible lignin- based residues from agriculture and forestry into refined biofuels for shipping.

The climate-neutral biofuel can serve as an immediate replacement for fossil marine fuel without the need to modify ship engines or change existing infrastructure.

The new funding will be used, among other things, to scale the technology at Kvasir Technologies’ test facility in Fredericia, which can produce up to 2 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel per day.

At the same time, development work will begin on the first commercial plant in the city of Aabenraa in the southern part of Jutland, which will demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale.

 

Photo credit: Kvasir Technologies
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Engine

BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels.
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June 19, 2026

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BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Wednesday (17 June) said it has issued the first Type Approval Certificate for a 100% hydrogen-fuelled, spark-ignited marine engine.

The approval has been awarded to the hydrogen engine developed by BeHydro and confirms the design meets LR’s requirements for safety, performance and reliability in marine applications.

The engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels. This simplifies system design and removes onboard carbon emissions at source, positioning the technology as a practical option for operators exploring zero-carbon propulsion.

Claudene Sharp-Patel, Global Technical Director, Lloyd’s Register, said: “The issue of this Type Approval Certificate demonstrates that hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine technology is continuing to mature as a viable option for maritime applications.

“For shipowners and operators, independent certification is essential in building confidence that emerging fuel technologies can meet the industry’s expectations for safety, reliability and operational performance.”

Tim Berckmoes, CEO at ABC Engines, said: “This LRS type approval of our BeHydro 100% hydrogen engines with zero emissions is a confirmation of the future proof technology that BeHydro can offer to innovative shipowners worldwide.

“The 100% hydrogen engine range is available from 900 kW till 2670 kW for different marine applications.”

LR previously awarded Type Approval to BeHydro for its hydrogen-powered dual-fuel engine in 2023, which was the first Type Approval for a dual-fuel hydrogen engine. 

 

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 19 June, 2026

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