Pioneering PSV set for conversion to ammonia power

More than 20 years after it became the first LNG-fuelled OSV, Eidesvik Offshore’s Viking Energy will once again break new ground as the first ammonia-powered platform supply vessel (PSV).

To make it happen, Eidesvik Offshore has signed a contract with Halsnøy Dokk to convert the LNG battery-hybrid vessel to burn ammonia in a dual-fuel engine. Part of the Norwegian government-backed Apollo Project, the conversion will involve the installation of a four-stroke Wärtsilä 25 dual-fuel ammonia engine, an ammonia tank, a new AmmoniaPac fuel gas supply system, an ammonia release mitigation system, an exhaust aftertreatment system, structural changes, system integration, and technical upgrades, along with testing and commissioning.

Last year, the Norwegian owner received almost US$4M in grant funding from Enova SF for the retrofit project.

Under charter to Equinor since its launch in 2003, Viking Energy’s contract was extended by the Norwegian oil and gas major until April 2030. Equinor holds further contract options to keep the PSV working in the Norwegian continental shelf and said it will “contribute significantly to funding the conversion to ammonia operation.”

The project aims to reduce the vessel’s CO2 emissions by 70% or more compared with its current LNG and marine gasoil propulsion system. Platform supply vessels in Norway produce about 1M tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, making them the largest emitter in the offshore logistics supply chain. Norway is considering a directive that would require low- and zero-emissions technology for OSVs by 2030.

Viking Energy has made a habit of serving as a proof-of-concept platform. It was the first LNG-fuelled OSV to hit the water in 2003, and in 2016, it was refit as the first battery-hybrid vessel with a DNV Battery Power notation.

A VS 4403 design, the Norway-flagged PSV has an overall length of 95 m, beam of 20 m, deadweight of 6,013 tonnes and a clear deck area of 1,030 m³.