The Port of Narvik sets sight on hydrogen-powered boat

A consortium led by Teco 2030 is working to develop a hydrogen-powered high-speed vessel for the Port of Narvik in northern Norway.

The partners are now seeking public funding to build a vessel. The boat will be equipped with hydrogen fuel cells from Teco 2030 and will be built by the shipyard Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted (GMV), located near Narvik.

The boat is planned for completion by 2023. Once completed, the boat will replace one of the port’s diesel vessels, which will result in a reduction in both diesel consumption and CO2 emission at the Port of Narvik. The boat will be used to keep an overview of the port for emergency preparedness and for teaching and training crews. The boat is aimed to be classified as a long-range, high-speed passenger vessel and should be able to keep a pace of 23 knots.

Teco 2030, which has recently signed an agreement with UiT The Arctic University of Norway to enhance research and education in Norway on hydrogen and fuel cells, will also participate in the project as a research partner.

Blom Maritime will provide technical assistance to Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted during the building of the boat, and Proactima will be responsible for risk assessments and analyses to ensure boat safety. Kupa will focus on disseminating the knowledge about hydrogen boats that will be developed during the boat’s building and testing phase.

Everfuel will develop a hydrogen filling station, which other users in the area would be able to use. It would become the world’s first hydrogen filling station that can serve both ships and road traffic. Everfuel will now, together with UiT and Norinnova Narvik, work to find possible new hydrogen users within the municipality and county municipality, such as buses, waste collection vehicles and taxis.

Børge Edvardsen Klingan, Port Director at the Port of Narvik, said, “This project will contribute to economic growth and development in Narvik and its surrounding regions and will also be an important contribution to the green transition in the maritime industry.”

Tore Enger, CEO of Teco 2030 Asa, added, “Now we only need to get support for this project by the Norwegian state enterprise Enova.”