Two Norwegian energy service firms will work together on the country’s largest ever onshore power supply contract.
They are building facilities which will let vessel hook up to the local electricity grid at four bases along the Norwegian coast by next autumn.
Project partners NorSea and Apply TB said the project would reduce CO2 emissions by 15,000tonnes a year, the equivalent of taking 7,000 cars off the road.
The project will cost £6.5million, of which £4.5million will come from Enova, a Norwegian government body responsible for promoting of environmentally friendly production and consumption of energy.
Ships tend to use polluting auxiliary engines to provide power for loading, heating and lighting while docked.
Hooking up to the local grid would reduce emissions and lower noise levels.
The bases involved are in Hammerfest, Kristiansund, Dusavik and Tananger.
NorSea Group chief executive John Stangeland said: “This is a substantial investment for us, with great support from ENOVA, where all parties see the environmental and commercial benefits to be achieved through the project.
“Onshore power supply will lead to large environmental benefits, in addition to economic gains for customers through reduction in operating expenses on the ships’ machinery, reduction in energy consumption (emission costs) and better energy utilisation.”
NorSea has a UK subsidiary — NorSea Group (UK) — which was set up in 2013.
It has supply bases in Aberdeen, Montrose and Peterhead.
Apply TB will make all the power supply systems for the project in Bergen, Norway.
Yvonne Torgersen Hetlevik, regional director for Apply TB, said: “To be a supplier of Norway’s largest contract for onshore power supply, is something we value highly, and we thank NorSea Group for the trust they are showing us in this project.
“The planning of the project has already started, and we are starting the building phase of the units around Christmas.”
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