Maritime CleanTech has submitted responses to three national hearings that will shape Norway’s path toward a zero-emission maritime future. The hearings cover climate requirements for aquaculture vessels, the future of the Norwegian coastal route, and indicative national emissions pathways.
Together, the hearings represent vital opportunities to create predictable frameworks, accelerate industrial development, and strengthen Norway’s position as a frontrunner in green maritime innovation.
Stronger Climate Requirements for Aquaculture Vessels
Maritime CleanTech supports the introduction of climate requirements for aquaculture vessels under 24 metres. These vessels are already well-suited for electrification, and the proposed regulations will give the industry the predictability it needs to invest in clean technologies. In our response, we also urge authorities to develop a plan for larger vessels, where emissions are highest, to ensure comprehensive and fair decarbonization across the aquaculture sector.
We highlight that technology and value chains for zero-emission operations are maturing, from battery-electric solutions to hydrogen and ammonia propulsion, and that new rules will strengthen Norway’s export potential in green maritime technology.
— Small and medium-sized aquaculture vessels have been mature for some years now, so this new policy is welcomed. The challenge is access to the grid. The largest emission from the sector, however, comes from larger vessels. Although we recognize the challenges, the imperative of predictability calls for also making plans for these vessels, Policy and Project Manager, Reber Iversen says.
A Climate-Neutral Coastal Route
In our response to the hearing on Framtidas kystrute, Maritime CleanTech call for the next coastal route contract to require climate-neutral operation from day one. We emphasize that future procurement processes must stimulate innovation and infrastructure development while maintaining vital transport services along Norway’s coast.
Here, we recommend absolute emission requirements and long-term incentives for zero-emission operations, including a bonus system that rewards operators who surpass climate targets using renewable fuels, energy efficiency measures, or noise reduction technologies.
— We have already seen that the current fleet is viable for climate-neutral operations by using batteries and biofuels, so the bar is set for 2030. The coastal route is particularly important for developing infrastructure along the coast. It’s important that the next contract has mechanisms for phasing in zero and near zero fuels, Iversen adds.
Indicative Emissions Pathways: A Framework for Long-Term Collaboration
Our input on indikative utslippsbaner, welcomes the government’s proposal to formalise climate trajectories under the Norwegian Climate Act. We underline the importance of broad cooperation between authorities, research institutions, and industry in developing these pathways — ensuring they are both ambitious and grounded in technological and economic reality.
The hearing response emphasises that such frameworks must provide predictability for investments, enable cross-sectoral innovation, and be continuously updated with data from industrial projects and innovation clusters. That’s why Maritime CleanTech suggests that the authorities work closely with industry partners such as the national clusters.
— When public and private actors develop these pathways together, they become not just a climate tool but a driver for sustainable industrial transformation, Iversen states.