Fjord Line leads the way with energy-saving technology

By investing in natural gas rather than diesel, and recovering energy on board, Fjord Line takes an active role in reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from ferry operations to the continent.

"Of those ferry companies sailing to the continent, we are the only one that sails on natural gas. This results in a reduction in CO₂e emissions of up to 10% compared to conventional marine diesel fuels," says Ole Svendsen, Fjord Line COO.

In keeping with Fjord Line's ambition to reduce its environmental footprint from its shipping and ferry operations in Norway and Denmark, the company has, over many years, made investments and taken measures to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The state-of-the-art ships MS Bergensfjord and MS Stavangerfjord are a result of these efforts. They sail between Norway and Denmark, powered by natural gas (LNG).

"When these ships were built in 2012–13, they were equipped with LNG engines and a complete LNG plant, along with the full safety system that sailing on natural gas entails," says Svendsen.

European pioneer in the transition to natural gas

With its investment in LNG fuel more than 10 years ago, Fjord Line was among the first ferry companies in Europe to use natural gas to power its ships. As a pioneer in LNG use, Fjord Line has contributed to the development of infrastructure for the use of LNG in Scandinavia.

"In collaboration with our bunkering supplier, we established an LNG refuelling facility in Risavika near Stavanger, Norway, that is strategically located for and adapted to Fjord Line's ships. Every evening, when the ships sail into Risavika, LNG is supplied directly to the ships from the natural gas grid," says Svendsen.

Risavika Harbour, with its LNG facilities, is not only used by Fjord Line. Risavika offers LNG bunkering services to a range of maritime operators, both Norwegian and international, wishing to operate on LNG.

Transition to dual-fuel engines

In 2022, Europe experienced a crisis in the energy market with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a drastic increase in the price of LNG. Combined with the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic, Fjord Line felt compelled to install new engines to manage the instability and uncertainty surrounding LNG supply.

"We therefore installed dual-fuel engines able to sail on both LNG and diesel and updated the supporting hardware from 2013 to more modern LNG technology. These engines provide the opportunity to sail on diesel if required, but so far it has not been necessary to use the new engines for propulsion with diesel. This means that, in practice, we still sail on LNG only," emphasises Svendsen.

Mini power plants recover excess heat as electricity

The sister ships not only sail on LNG fuel, but have also had their own mini power plants installed, where waste heat from the LNG engines is converted into electricity.

"What is extraordinary about our two LNG-powered ships is that we can generate electricity on board by using waste heat to drive a steam turbine. Instead of just releasing the hot smoke from the engines 'up the chimney', we use it to create steam that goes down into a turbine and generates most of the electricity we need," says Svendsen.

Real-time and LED technology reduces energy consumption

Fjord Line has taken several measures to optimise energy consumption on board. The company has installed technology that provides real-time data on the ships' consumption.

"Real-time data means that we can optimise energy consumption at all times," says Svendsen. "At her last docking, MS Stavangerfjord received a new LED lighting system to reduce both power consumption and heat generation from lighting." He adds: "Stavangerfjord and our high-speed ferry Fjord FSTR, sailing between Kristiansand and Hirtshals, have both received new silicone bottom paint, which provides an energy saving of around five percent compared to traditional bottom paint."

Fjord FSTR: reducing emissions through design and technology

Fjord Line's focus on reducing fuel consumption and emissions can be seen in the design and operation of the high-speed ferry Fjord FSTR, which provides Norway's fastest boat connection with Denmark. The ship sails on diesel but has 27% lower CO₂e emissions per passenger, as well as capacity for twice as many passengers per crossing, compared to its predecessor Fjord CAT.

"The hull also has a new and optimised design, which contributes to the vessel's lower CO₂e emissions," Svendsen explains.

Fact Sheet – emissions from Fjord FSTR compared to its predecessor Fjord CAT.

Charging your car, ready for the road ahead

On board the Fjord FSTR, 16 charging stations for electric and hybrid cars can be found. On up to three round trips per day, passengers with an electric vehicle can get a boost before continuing their holiday on the Norwegian or Danish roads.

Fact sheet – Emissions