The world’s largest renewable energy research has begun in Norway

VARD, in collaboration with 12 research institutes and approximately 50 industrial partners, has secured funding from the Research Council of Norway to establish a new research center for renewable energy in the marine sector, the largest program of its kind in the world.

Cfor FME Maritime Energy Transition (FME MarTrans), this initiative will receive NOK 300 million over eight years and aims to accelerate the green transformation in the maritime sector. The project brings together 65 partners from both the maritime industry and research institutions, focusing on research, innovation and education to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and reduce the sector’s dependence on fossil fuels. VARD’s involvement includes financial support and resource contributions to various projects within FME MarTrans.

What will FME MarTrans do?

The project aims to solve four main challenges:

Environmentally friendly fuel is expensive and difficult to access. Therefore, energy consumption must be drastically reduced by optimizing the use of renewable energy.
To use new energy carriers safely and efficiently, on-board energy systems need to be further developed.
Making green fuels available requires the development of supply chains and new port infrastructure.
Sustainable transformation requires the support of new technologies with knowledge and development of business models, environmental impact, regulation and integration of energy systems.

FME MarTrans will organize most of its research activities and educational tracks around these areas, but will also stimulate innovation and piloting through company-controlled demonstration projects, says Center Director Johnsen. Work will start in autumn 2024 and will be completed in 2032.

This will be an important arena for networking, cross-border cooperation and an arena in which research can be made more relevant.

… said Håvard Vollset Lien, Vice President of Research and Innovation at Vard.

The renewable energy initiative builds on the success of the previous SFI Smart Maritime project, which ran from 2015 to 2023 and included VARD. With 18 shipping companies and around 450 vessels involved in FME MarTrans, Norway, boasting the fifth largest fleet in the world, has a significant opportunity to significantly reduce global emissions from the maritime sector.

Amplifier

Research institutions: SINTEF Ocean, SINTEF Energy, SINTEF Industry, SINTEF Ålesund, NTNU, NHH, UiT, Chalmers (SE), DTU (DK), VTT (FI), IIASA (AUT), NTUA (GRE).

Industry and public partners: Amon Maritime, AQS, Bergen Engines, Brunvoll, Corvus, DNV, Eitzen Rederi, Elinett, Fjord Base, Fjuel, Frøy, Gard, Gasnor, GC Rieber Shipping, Global Maritime Decarbonization Center, Glocal green, GreenH, Grieg Star, HAV Group, Havila Shipping, Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime, Hyds, Höegh Autoliners, Island Offshore, Jotun, KG Jebsen Skipsrederi, Klaveness, Kongsberg, Kristiansand Havn, Miljødirektoratet, Moen Marin, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Narvik Havn, Navtor , North Sea Container Line, Norske Havner, Oslo Havn, Plug, Rederiforbundet, SFL Corp, Sirius Design & Integration, Sjøfartsdirektoratet, Skarv Shipping Solutions, Solvang, Teco2030, Trondheim Havn, Trøndelag fylkeskommune, Ulmatec Pyro, Ulstein, Utkilen, Vard Group, Yara Marine , Østensjø Rederi.