Eco-friendly Norwegian Coast Guard vessel

CoastGuard KV Barentshav

The new Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Barentshav can now refuel natural gas close to the areas it is protecting in the Barents Sea, reports the Barents Observer.

KV Barentshav is the first Norwegian vessel permanently operating in the High North to run on natural gas. The vessel can now refuel in Rypefjord outside Hammerfest, Norwegian Broacasting Cooperation reports.

The environmental question was important for the Coast Guard when they purchased vessels running on natural gas instead of diesel oil. Use of natural gas makes it possible to reduce NOx emissions with 90 percent and CO2 emissions with 25 percent.

“It is important for the Coast Guard to have an environmentally friendly profile,” KV Barentshav’s captain told NRK. A large part of our work is related to the environment. It is also very important for us to be able to refuel in Northern Norway, because having to go further south to refuel would reduce the environmental gains.

The natural gas now comes from Mosjøen in Nordland county, but next year vessels in Northern Norway will be refueld with gas from Statoil’s LNG plant on Melkøya outside Hammerfest.

Watch video about the use of natural gas on KV Barentshav here