Equinor Seeks to Develop Biofuel, Hydrogen, Ammonia as Bunker Fuels

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday June 8, 2020

Norwegian energy company Equinor has announced its plans to contribute to shipping's decarbonisation agenda, including extending the use of biofuel, hydrogen and ammonia as bunker fuels.

The company plans to halve its ships' greenhouse gas emissions in Norway from 2005's levels by 2030, as well as to follow the International Maritime Organization's committment to halve its global emissions from 2008's levels by 2050, it said in a statement on its website Monday.

In the short term Equinor will seek to increase the share of biofuels in marine fuels, and over the longer term it will look at "developing ammonia and hydrogen from natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage or by electrolysis of water from renewable power," it said.

"A successful development of zero-emission fuels for the maritime sector will require close collaboration between the industry, shipowners, technology suppliers, international organizations and authorities," Kjetil Johnsen, vice president for shipping at Equinor, said in the statement.

"From 2015, Equinor has gradually renewed its tanker fleet, which is an important contribution to reaching Equinor's ambitions.

"We expect the total carbon intensity for the tanker fleet to be reduced by 45% in 2025, compared to 2008."