Norwegian shipping company Loran is to develop a green and innovative longline fishing vessel that reduces fossil fuel use by more than 40% and will also be prepared for future zero-emission operations. The project has received backing to the tune of NOK 92.5 million from Enova an agency of the Ministry of Climate and the Environment.

The vessel will be around 70m in length and will be at sea for 4-6 weeks in a row and will need more energy sources to cover its power needs. The basic idea for this vessel is container-based storage of hydrogen, two 185kW fuel cells and a 2000kWh battery in addition to conventional diesel engines.

The vessel was designed by Skipsteknisk, which has received support from Innovation Norway to develop a flexible design in relation to future zero-emission operations. The design is made with energy efficiency in mind, heat recovery and the possibility of a zero-emission energy carrier when using hydrogen. The project contributes to cost reduction, not least for fishing vessels that can reuse the flexible design. This is demanding to develop and has a high cost for this first project.