Bellona Foundation and Damen to cooperate on low-emission designs
The Oslo-based NGO Bellona Foundation has launched a three year partnership with the leading Dutch company Damen Shipyards Group. The main goal of the partnership is to explore and develop concept vessels for the future. The agreement will be officially signed on March 18 during an industry event in Stavanger.
The Bellona Foundation and Damen both acknowledge that today’s global shipping industry will need to undergo substantial change in order to achieve its own climate and environmental objectives. The NGO and Damen have joined forces to work towards reducing the impact on the climate of a wide range of commercial and leisure vessels, as well as fleets employed by the aquaculture industry.
“One of Bellona’s goals is to make the ships of the future independent of fossil fuels. This partnership will provide us with new knowledge on innovative shipping construction that will contribute towards achieving that objective, said Frederic Hauge, founder and president of The Bellona Foundation. “Today the global shipping industry emits large amounts of CO2, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other gases harmful to the climate and environment, and the European fleet is large and in need of renewal. The next three years of partnership with Damen will make us better equipped to handle the challenges, both domestically and internationally.”
