Solvang Oslo - Experts & Thought Leaders

Nor-Shipping 2025, taking place in Oslo and Lillestrøm 2-6 June, has announced the shortlists for two of its most coveted accolades, the Next Generation Ship Award and the Ocean Solutions Award. Celebrating innovations, technologies and pioneering projects capable of balancing both environmental and commercial sustainability, the initiatives attracted a huge number of entries from across the world. Selecting the eventual winners was, according to Nor-Shipping Director Sidsel Norvik, “tougher than ever”. Pioneering projects Nor-Shipping’s Next Generation Ship Award champions trail-blazing projects that are either newbuildings under construction, conversions, retrofits, or recent deliveries. This year’s shortlisted entrants are: Windcat Workboats’ Elevation Series CSOVs: Hydrogen-powered, offshore service vessels developed in collaboration with Damen and CMB.TECH. Solvang Shipping’s Clipper Eris retrofit: Carbon capture and storage retrofit on a 21,000m3 ethylene carrier, reducing GHG emissions. NYK’s Sakigake conversion: The world’s first ammonia-fuelled tugboat, converted from LNG fuel to demonstrate low-carbon alternatives. Samskip’s SeaShuttle feeder vessels: Hydrogen fuel cell-powered zero-emission container ships for shortsea routes. Bibby Marine’s eCSOV hybrid vessels: Offshore wind support vessels designed for long-term zero-emission operations. From challenge to opportunity The Ocean Solutions Award, meanwhile, is open to Nor-Shipping participants with landmark innovations capable of helping the industry meet some of its most pressing challenges. As always, the competition was intense, with the expert jury eventually selecting the following shortlisted nominees: Wärtsilä Carbon Capture and Storage: A modular system designed for integration into existing propulsion setups, reducing CO₂ emissions. Zeabuz autonomous ship platform: Pioneering remote and autonomous vessel operations to address crew shortages and enhance safety. Wärtsilä ammonia solution: A full-scale deployment of ammonia as a marine fuel, showcasing safety and operational efficiency. ORCA AI situational awareness: An AI-driven platform enhancing navigational safety through real-time risk detection and data analysis. bound4blue’s eSail system: Innovative ‘suction sail’ wind propulsion solutions cutting fuel consumption, emissions and easing regulatory compliance for a wide range of vessel types. Fierce competition “What a year,” comments Nor-Shipping Director Norvik. “The competition was fiercer than ever, with some outstanding entrants, so getting this far in the awards should be a huge source of pride for all the shortlisted companies and teams." “The evolving nature of the competing fields every time we run these initiatives is a testament to both the progress within the industry and the continued commitment of key stakeholders to build a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient maritime future. We’re proud to support these innovations and can’t wait to see the winners enjoying the spotlight when the shipping world meets next month in Norway!” Winners of the Next Generation Ship Award The winners of the Next Generation Ship Award and Ocean Solution Award will be revealed in front of an audience of key industry decision makers at Nor-Shipping’s Ocean Leadership Conference on 3 June. This year’s Nor-Shipping programme, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the event week, focuses on the theme of #Future-Proof. More than 50,000 decision makers, and around 1,000 exhibiting companies, will attend the unique week-long event.

Technology group - Wärtsilä has announced that its breakthrough carbon capture solution (CCS) is now commercially available to the global maritime industry, delivering a step-change in shipping’s decarbonisation journey. According to Wärtsilä’s tests, the new ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ is proven to reduce vessel CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent, providing ship owners with an immediate solution to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Net-zero targets The ability to capture CO2 from ship exhaust systems will have a major impact on the industry’s efforts The ability to capture CO2 from ship exhaust systems will have a major impact on the industry’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions, taking into account the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 reduction target. Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä, comments: "CCS is a game-changer for the maritime industry, and we are already seeing huge interest in the market for this solution. Ahead of shipping’s net-zero targets, this new technology complements the industry’s ongoing efforts to dramatically reduce emissions from vessels and prevent stranded assets." Solvang ASA’s commitment The launch follows the successful installation of the world’s first comprehensive, full-scale solution onboard Solvang ASA’s Clipper Eris, where the technology captures emissions from all exhaust gas sources. Earlier this year, Wärtsilä installed its CCS technology onboard the 21,000 m3 ethylene carrier for full scale testing and optimisation. The solution, which has been in operation since the Clipper Eris set sail from Singapore in February 2025, will support Solvang ASA’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable maritime operations. Range of Wärtsilä products Solvang’s Clipper Eris ship was equipped with a broad range of Wärtsilä products, including exhaust scrubbers Solvang’s Clipper Eris ship was already equipped with a broad range of Wärtsilä products, including exhaust scrubbers, making it an ideal candidate for the project. Separately, for newbuild vessels currently under construction, Solvang has worked closely with Wärtsilä, and other partners, to ensure these ships are CCS-ready. This includes CCS-ready scrubber systems, as the engines will operate on HFO, as well as necessary space reservation and utility requirements. Solutions for marine decarbonisation "While the shipping sector continues to explore options for lessening its environmental impact, CCS provides a significant shortcut for achieving meaningful sustainability," says Edvin Endresen, CEO of Solvang ASA. Edvin Endresen adds, "Solvang has been at the forefront of advocating for, and adapting to, new technologies such as CCS for our deep-sea fleet. As one of the more promising solutions for marine decarbonisation, it was important for us to team up with an experienced and trusted partner such as Wärtsilä and we are excited at the potential its CCS offering will bring to our business." Reduce a vessel’s CO2 emissions Wärtsilä has been actively developing this technology since 2019 and currently operates a research centre and test facility in Moss, Norway capturing 10 tonnes of CO2 per day from a Wärtsilä marine engine. These tests, which are now supported by the full scale-installation onboard Clipper Eris, have proven that the new CCS has the capability to reduce a vessel’s CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent. Wärtsilä also estimates its CCS would have a carbon capture cost of Eur50-Eur70/mtCO2 ($54-$76/mtCO2), inclusive of capital and operating costs. Advance in maritime emissions control Wärtsilä’s CCS can be applied to the exhaust from any carbon-based fuel, such as HFO and methanol Agnevall continues, “Collaboration has been key here. To achieve this significant advance in maritime emissions control it is important to be able to cooperate with like-minded partners such as Solvang ASA. We congratulate them for their vision and support in bringing CCS to their fleet.” Wärtsilä offers different scalable CCS sizes and configurations to suit various vessel types and operator needs, both on newbuildings and retrofits. Wärtsilä’s CCS can be applied to the exhaust from any carbon-based fuel – such as HFO, methanol, LNG and MGO – and is designed to work alongside other emission reduction technologies, including SOx scrubbers, NOx reduction systems, and particulate matter filters. Other decarbonisation technologies and services As part of Wärtsilä's broader portfolio, CCS can be integrated with other decarbonisation technologies and services.  Wärtsilä’s years of experience in SOx scrubbing and installing technologies that tackle pollutants at the point of exhaust, makes the company uniquely positioned to pioneer maritime applications for CCS, and further unlock decarbonisation benefits for owners and operators.

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Solvang to equip the company’s fleet with Inmarsat’s NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity service to support the pioneering gas shipping company’s evolving crew and business connectivity requirements. Solvang’s fleet, which includes six semi-refrigerated ethylene carriers, eight large gas carriers, and 13 very large gas carriers (including seven newbuilds), depends on reliable satellite connectivity. Data and global coverage Inmarsat’s NexusWave will provide Solvang with high-speed, reliable service, along with unlimited data This connectivity is crucial for running cloud-based business applications and video conferencing, as well as ensuring that crew members can stay in touch with their family and friends.  Inmarsat’s NexusWave will provide Solvang with high-speed, reliable service, along with unlimited data and global coverage, thereby supporting the Norway-based company’s evolving connectivity demands. NexusWave network availability The fully managed NexusWave service combines LEO, GEO, LTE, and L-band network underlays in one bonded connection to achieve maximum download speeds of up to 340 megabits per second, maximum upload speeds of up to 80 Mbps, and network availability exceeding 99.9%. Real-life tests have also shown the quality of a video conference remains virtually unaffected by the availability or performance of a single underlay, with the solution dynamically adjusting traffic routing to maintain a seamless and uninterrupted experience. NexusWave vessel’s location NexusWave ensures managed version levels regardless of the vessel’s location or needs Leveraging unique network bonding technology, NexusWave ensures managed performance levels regardless of the vessel’s location or requirements, with full transparency on the total cost of ownership. Terje Skaar, Superintendent - Electro, Solvang ASA, commented: “In a rapidly evolving maritime industry, our operations are increasingly reliant on cloud-based solutions and video conferencing, while our seafarers expect a home-like Internet experience on board the ship. With NexusWave, our vessels will be seamlessly connected to high-speed Internet at all times – with no unexpected costs and a single point of contact for support and service.” NexusWave’s performance on board Evaluating NexusWave’s performance on board the Solvang very large gas carrier Clipper Explorer, vessel Master reported: “I only have positive things to say about NexusWave." "Since the service was installed, our online applications have been running smoothly, with higher connection speeds than ever, no downtime, and not a single issue reported by crew.” Benefits of seamless business communications “Initial feedback from vessels equipped with NexusWave vessels has been very positive,” said Christopher Hansen, Sales Manager, Inmarsat Maritime. “We have verified the service’s exceptional speed and reliability through rigorous real-world testing. Now, shipping operators are experiencing the benefits of seamless business communications and home-like connectivity for crew. We also see that ship owners appreciate the convenience and simplicity of partnering with a single, trusted provider at a time when shipping operations increasingly depend on the power of multiple networks.”