Reykjavík-headquartered engineering consultancy firm Verkís is leading GAMMA, a €17 million European project aimed at revolutionising international shipping by converting a bulk carrier to sail on climate-neutral fuels and green power. Visitors to IceFish 2024 in September will learn that the primary intention of GAMMA is to demonstrate the potential of retrofitting and e-fuels.
With a focus on innovation, the project will prove it’s possible to replace auxiliary generators with a new fuel system running on e-fuels. After proof of concept in GAMMA, the next step will be to replace the main engines of a ship for a full energy transition.
According to Verkís, this “very visionary project” could be a green game-changer for the shipping and fisheries industries. The company highlights that these sectors will need to quickly adapt to new IMO rules as most existing commercial vessels continue to run on conventional fossil fuels. This means the ships will not be commercially nor technically competitive by 2030 if investment in new ships or retrofitting with greener technologies doesn’t take place.
In addition to coordinating the GAMMA project, Verkís is responsible for the gas engineering on the ship, fire protection, fire safety and risk management. It is also involved in design management, bunkering, the fuel distribution system and storage and life-cycle analysis.
For 90 years, Verkís has been a trusted partner in building up infrastructure and societies. It employs more than 350 people at 12 locations throughout Iceland, offering first-class services in all fields of engineering consulting and related disciplines.
[2 X GAMMA.jpgs] Caption: The GAMMA project shows it is possible to replace auxiliary generators with a new e-fuel system
