The Viking Energy vessel, which is on contract to Equinor, is scheduled for conversion in early 2026 and is expected to start operating on ammonia in the first half of 2026, becoming the world’s first ammonia-fueled in-service ship.
The partners will explore the possibility of utilizing CALAMCO’s existing ammonia storage terminal at the Port of Stockton to conduct a pilot demonstration project on ship-to-ship refueling in the US West Coast.
Equinor has signed a contract with Norwegian shipowner Eidesvik Offshore for the conversion of the Viking Energy supply vessel to ammonia operation. The vessel, which supplies Equinor's installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), will be fully converted and put into operation with low emissions in 2026.
Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Eidesvik to supply the equipment for the conversion of the offshore platform supply vessel to operate with ammonia fuel.
The partners report that Viking Energy will be the world's first supply vessel fueled by ammonia.
By converting the vessel to ammonia operation, Eidesvik and Wärtsilä say they will cut emissions from Viking Energy by at least 70%.
Equinor and Eidesvik have a 21-year history of collaboration on environmental technology on Viking Energy. At the time of delivery in 2003, the vessel was the world's first LNG-fueled supply vessel. The vessel was also the first in the world to receive DNVs "Battery Power" notation.
Equinor also will contribute significantly to funding the conversion to ammonia operation. The project receives EUR5 million (US$5.5 million) in support through the EU Horizon Europe program.
The necessary conversion and installation of the new engine together with the complete fuel gas supply system and exhaust after-treatment from Wärtsilä will take place in 2026.
"The offshore fleet on the NCS is aging and needs renewal," said Ørjan Kvelvane, Equinor's senior vice president for joint operations support. "Investing in new technology is expensive, and there are many uncertainties. At the same time, scaling up the use of operational technology to enable the necessary transformation is urgent. Cooperation with the authorities and competent suppliers on phasing in recent technology is essential to achieving the emission targets we have set."
The government said it will establish requirements for low-emission solutions from 2025, and zero emissions from new supply vessels from 2029. The orientation of these requirements has not yet been decided.
Equinor has made an inquiry in the market for supply vessels capable of running on ammonia.
