Norwegian government enterprise Enova has decided to grant NOK 152m ($14.1m) to Viridis Bulk Carriers for the construction of two ammonia-powered bulk carriers.
Viridis Bulk Carriers expect to place orders for the two ships near the end of 2023, with deliveries starting in 2025.
The two ammonia-powered bulkers, designed by Kongsberg Maritime, will have a similar sailing range as the current fleet of short-sea bulk vessels and will maintain the crew and societal safety at the level of conventional vessels.
The company has collaborated with the eight charterers in the Flexbulk NH3 Ammonia Power consortium project to ensure that cargo capacities and operational capabilities are just as future-proof as the power technology and emissions reductions.
“The Enova grant enables the construction of these highly innovative vessels, which we expect will be amongst the very first ships to kickstart the ammonia-powered green shift in shipping,” added André Risholm, co-founder and board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
Viridis stated that bunkering infrastructure was a key challenge that the company’s partners had been working to solve. Together with Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane Fuel Solutions, and others, Viridis is making sure that ammonia fuel will be available by the time the vessels start operations.
“We are building a new fuel value chain by leveraging partnerships from production to bunkering to providing an ammonia-powered shipping service. We solve the chicken-and-egg dilemma by having them both appear at the same time,” Peder N. Jarlsby, board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers, concluded.
