The Swedish Maritime Administration is today launching the world’s first fully methanol-powered pilot boat. This is one of the plant’s existing pilot boats that has now been rebuilt to be tested with the new fuel. The work forms part of the Swedish Maritime Administration’s conversion work towards a fossil-free fleet of vessels.
– The pilot boat will be the first of its kind in the world. In general, we in Sweden are far ahead when it comes to the area of maritime research and innovation. It is therefore no coincidence that this particular project is now being implemented in this country, says Fredrik Backman, shipping director at the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The work of rebuilding one of the Swedish Maritime Administration’s pilot boats from previously running on diesel to now running on methanol is part of a larger EU initiative, and will continue until 2024. At the same time as there are other projects with various forms of methanol-powered ship is the Swedish Maritime Administration’s pilot boat first in the world of its kind. The boat will now be part of the agency’s regular pilot operations to evaluate the technology, but also ensure both its capacity and capability.
– Our redesigned pilot boat is an important piece of the puzzle in our larger and broader transition work towards a completely fossil-free boat and ship fleet. The pilot boat will now be put to the test, something that happens through many hours of tough and continuous testing. Tests that will then be evaluated and analyzed, says Fredrik Backman.
The Swedish Maritime Administration has previously been commissioned by the government to analyze and make proposals on how the agency’s boat and ship fleet can become fossil-free. A mission based on the government’s national climate goals, which include a reduction of at least 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from domestic transport before 2030.
Facts – The Swedish Maritime Administration’s pilot operation
The Swedish Maritime Administration provides pilotage and assistance of pilots to ships within Swedish maritime territory. On average, almost 33,000 pilots are performed each year by 230 pilots.
Today, the Swedish Maritime Administration’s fleet consists of 110 work vessels, of which 70 are pilot boats. Despite the fact that there are currently no ready-made solutions for a completely fossil-free ship operation in our operations, several different initiatives are underway within the plant. These include various forms of energy efficiency improvements, but also alternative energy storage.
Partners: FASTWATERLunds universitetBALance Technology Consulting GmbH, Heinzmann GmbH & Co. KG, Anglo Belgian Corporation, Port of Antwerp, Universiteit Gent, ScandiNAOS AB, SSPA – Your Maritime Solution Partner, MEYER WERFT GmbH & Co. KG, Lloyd’s Register, NTUA, Methanex Corporation, Souper TOYS SKAFI EPE
