March 27 ------ A Norwegian consortium led by maritime technology and services provider HAV Group has unveiled a new research project focused on LNG-fueled shipping with onboard carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The project called LNGameChanger – HAV Group’s joint effort with coastal cruise operator Havila Voyages, natural gas company Molgas (formerly Gasnor), and research institution SINTEF – was introduced on March 26, 2025. Through this project, the Norwegian companies intend to develop a new solution for decarbonizing maritime transport by capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power trains, 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. The project also aims to establish a user case with a vessel design and relevant operational profile to extract load profile characteristics and perform voyage simulations for the vessel in study. In addition to the required onboard processes, LNGameChanger will also address the infrastructure needs related to decentralized CO2 collection and transport in port.
As explained, the two-year project will utilize operational data from Havila Kystruten’s LNG-powered coastal route ships, which already combine LNG with battery operation to reduce emissions by more than 35%. HAV Group will provide technical expertise for ship and systems integration, regulatory compliance and risk assessment, and overall project management.
The first step of the LNGameChanger project is to conduct necessary feasibility studies and simulations to define the readiness to take the decarbonized SOFC power train solution to a subsequent prototype demonstration level in a successor project.
The project was granted approximately NOK 5 million (around $478,000) from the Norwegian Research Council. “The LNGameChanger project aims to create the basis of a new product in 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. 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,” said Gunnar Larsen, CEO of HAV Group.
Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages, added: “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. “To be able to meet future requirements and reach the goals for a greener future, we cannot lock ourselves in one direction. We have to investigate the possibilities available to find the best solution, both for the environment and from a business perspective.”
Source: offshore-energy.biz
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