Kongsberg Maritime has been selected as the lead integrator for a significant green upgrade of the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s (NCA) hybrid vessel, ‘OV Bøkfjord’.
The project will include installation of Kongsberg Maritime’s electric Rim-Drive azimuth thrusters, together with an upgrade of hybrid capacity. Kystverket, as NCA is known in Norwegian, is a national agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, responsible for coastal management, maritime safety, and emergency preparedness against acute pollution. With a presence along the entire Norwegian coast, the NCA ensures the safety and accessibility of maritime infrastructure, while providing essential services such as pilotage and navigation technology.
The NCA has been an innovative frontrunner in the efforts to reduce emissions. The OV Bøkfjord was its first hybrid vessel, delivered in 2016 and one of the first battery hybrids delivered from Kongsberg Maritime. The company will now lead the upgrades to the vessel’s hybrid capacity and propulsion systems, which aligns with the Administration’s strong focus on reducing environmental impacts, emission reduction, sustainable supply chain, and safer operations.
Kongsberg Maritime has engaged in operational and predictive analytics, comparing current fuel consumption with several decarbonisation options. These analytics supported decision-making to meet the NCA’s future goals within emission reductions.
Eivind Midtlid, Kongsberg Maritime Sales Manager Offshore Integration and Energy, said: “This project proved that the hybrid technology has developed significantly over the last 10 years since the OV Bøkfjord was first introduced. Back then, it was a pioneer of its time, and today through this range of upgrades, we’re ensuring it will have even better environmental performance, for many years to come. Through our detailed analysis we have been able to expand the battery capacity by four times compared to the original design. To maximise emission reductions, we found that changing propulsion technology to our Rim-Drive azimuth thrusters allows the vessel to operate for much longer periods on full electric, emission-free clean energy.”
The vessel charges its batteries with clean energy from Norway’s hydro-dominated power grid and uses this in its daily operations, safeguarding coastal navigation infrastructure. Additionally, the new propellers have been hydrodynamically optimised to significantly reduce noise compared to their predecessors, improving the crew environment and marine life below water.
Image: ‘OV Bøkfjord’ (credit Anders Røeggen-Kystverket / Kongsberg Maritime)
