Shipping, freight and cruise traffic are huge emitters of greenhouse gases and major contributors to the ongoing climate crisis. In order to curb climate change impacts, the amount of fossil fuels used by ships must be reduced significantly.

Moreover, natural resources are finite. It is imperative to make the transition to the circular economy, where resources are kept in a perpetual loop of use and reuse using renewable energy sources for sustainability.

Liquefied biogas (LBG) is produced from biological waste and fits into and promotes the circular economy. For example, biowaste and by-products from the aquaculture industry can be transformed into LBG, which can then be used to fuel the service vessels that operate around the fish farms or transport the fish for processing.

Biokraft owns and operates the world’s largest LBG plant, which produces the fuel from locally sourced biowaste and is powered by renewable energy.

The company has recently signed the largest contract for LBG in the history of the shipping industry with Norwegian Hurtigruten – the world’s largest expedition cruise line. Hurtigruten is building six new battery-hybrid cruise ships which will be fuelled in part by LBG from Biokraft. The contract represents a milestone towards achieving a green and sustainable shipping industry.

As a fuel source, LBG has tremendous benefits. It is carbon-neutral, renewable, and has virtually no sulphur or particulate emissions. Moreover, it can significantly shrink the environmental footprint of the food and manufacturing companies that generate waste and by-products, as well as of the vessels and vehicles fuelled by LBG.

In addition, because it is clean burning, LBG helps to improve air quality for passengers on board ships and for communities near ports. These are just a few of the reasons why Hurtigruten has chosen LBG from Biokraft as its next-generation fuel.

As the world’s largest producer, Biokraft has chosen to be a spearhead for LBG, helping the world to understand the benefits of biogas as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels – an alternative that is available today.

The company engages in ongoing research and development to optimise its technology and is working to double the capacity of its plant and strengthen its market position. Biokraft’s LBG is sold by distributors, and currently transported by road. Market projections for LBG show a potential demand for dozens of LBG factories in Norway alone, in addition to demand in the rest of the world. With its leading expertise in building and operating large-scale LBG factories, Biokraft is well-equipped to build many of these as the need arises.