Eidesvik and Aker BP continue supply vessel upgrades

Norwegian offshore supply vessel (OSV) operator, Eidesvik, and exploration and production company, Aker BP, are to install batteries on two OSVs, Viking Lady and Viking Prince, in a drive to continue reducing emissions. On completion, eleven of Eidesvik’s twelve operating vessels with have hybrid battery systems.

Aker BP and Eidesvik have also embarked on a project – ‘Retrofit’ – to assess other options to cut emissions by as much as 70%. Potential candidates in the Retrofit project include the Aker BP-owned vessels, NS Orla and NS Frayja, both of which are managed by Eidesvik. Aker BP is also pursuing a ‘greening’ strategy with other tonnage suppliers, including Solstad Offshore and Simon Møkster Shipping.

Jan Frederik Meling, Eidesvik CEO, commented: “Newbuildings are often presented as the only solution to making the shipping industry greener and more sustainable. However, at Eidesvik, we’re equally focused on the great potential for significantly reducing emissions from the existing fleet.

“From a climate and sustainability perspective, recycling old ships and building new ones requires a lot of energy that could otherwise be saved,” Meling continued, “not to mention the huge investment needed for newbuildings. As a shipowner, we believe we can achieve increasingly large emissions reductions as well as save capex by prolonging the lifetime of existing vessels with new green technologies.”