Towards sustainable zero-emission offshore logistics

Platform supply vessels (PSVs) represent the largest greenhouse gas emission source in the offshore logistics supply chain for oil and gas operators at the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The existing PSV fleet is young and was developed with high-quality specifications. Therefore, the transition towards a zero-emission fleet is expected to consist of a period with fleets including both ships utilizing marine gas oil, retrofits and newbuilds utilizing new energy carriers. No emission-free PSVs exist as of today, however, sixteen percent of the Norwegian-owned offshore vessel fleet uses low-emission solutions, such as hybrid electric propulsion systems and LNG/LPG. Power system suppliers are developing systems for future energy carriers, however, the availability of these energy carriers is scarce, costs are expected to be high and will require infrastructure development. Hence, future zero-emission ships for offshore logistics need to be designed as part of a system where access to, storage capacity for, and cost of energy are of greater importance than today, while still maintaining the required levels of offshore supply service and operational performance. ZeroLog project has a goal to strengthen the petroleum industry in the transition towards sustainable zero-emission offshore logistics by 2050 by offering a framework for integrated analyses of zero-emission systems, energy-saving technologies & designs and energy-efficient fleet operations. ZeroLog consortium includes most of the oil&gas operators present on the NCS, along with a ship owner, battery producer, logistics service supplier. Best researchers within the fields of logistics, industrial economics, marine technology will join the project from SINTEF, NTNU, NHH, and affiliated international institutions. The project will communicate and disseminate information on activities and results through the project's website along with presentations at international exhibitions and academic conferences.

The purpose of this project is to strengthen the petroleum industry in the transition towards sustainable zero-emission offshore logistics by 2050 by offering a framework for integrated analyses of zero-emission systems, energy-saving technologies & designs and energy-efficient fleet operations. Main research question: What are the future energy and performance profiles of PSVs with low- and zero-emission technologies and novel hull shapes, and how will this affect the future PSV fleet, operations and offshore logistics on the NCS? The main research question is supported by the following sub-research questions: RQ1: What are the most important KPIs for an (future?) PSV on both ship and fleet levels (WP1) RQ2: How is optimal hull shape for a PSV affected by choice of energy carrier and energy support infrastructure? (WP2) RQ3: How to determine energy efficient operations for a PSV vessel fleet exploiting individual ship technological capabilities and supporting infrastructure? (WP3) RQ4: How to simultaneously dimension ship characteristics while also optimize fleet composition and supporting infrastructure? (WP2, WP3) RQ5: What are the most important barriers and likely scenarios for zero-emission PSV fleet realization? (WP4)