facts about NordBio

MARINAEmission reduction and increased use of alternative fuels in marine applications

Nordic Council of Ministers

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Goal of the MARINA project The overall goal in MARINA is to reduce emissions and increase the use of alternative fuels in the marine sector. To do so, the project aims to create a network between key players in all the Nordic countries to identify policy and roadmap recommendations for Nordic policy and decision makers on how to increase the use of alternative fuels and reduce emissions from marine applications.

It is important in all aspects to increase efficiency and reduce waste in the fragile environment of the North Atlantic. The recommendations shall put forward goals for 2025 and also longer term goals, i.e. 2050. They should specify actions, CO2 reduction goals, national & Nordic programs, international cooperation, infrastructure and alternative fuel resources among others.

The outcome will be published in a “white paper” at the end of the project and the project will host a

What unites the Nordic nations? Many would mention our shared history, heritage or culture, but physically it’s literally the ocean. It should come as no surprise, therefore that for the Nordic nations it is of utmost importance to protect the oceans of the North Atlantic. All the Nordic nations rely heavily on marine industries i.e. transport across the sea, fisheries and tourism, while promoting themselves as “The Green Valley of Europe.” Currently there is an increased discussion on preserving the Arctic, particularly in light of possible future transport routes across the North Pole region.

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conference to disseminate key findings. It is expected that the Marina network can continue on after the lifetime of the project, and become to some extent self-sufficient.

BackgroundOver the last few years all of the Nordic countries have been promoting increased use of environmentally friendly fuels, mainly focusing on land transport. Norway, for example, is the world leader in using battery electric

NordBio

cars and other Nordic nations have promoted increased use of bio-fuels, hydrogen and electricity directly. All of the Nordic nations have set forward policy goals regarding emission reductions from transport and there is a good cooperation between industries in that field as well as established networks.

This level of cooperation and shared policy goals currently does not exist for marine applications. Oil consump-tion can be very high. In some cases more than ½ kilogram of oil is burned to catch 1 kilogram of fish! Technical developments in land transport have

Addresses & Information

Nordic Council of MinistersVed Stranden 18DK-1061 Copenhagen KTlf +45 3396 0200

www.norden.org

Contact informationÁgústa S. Loftsdóttir, manager of fuels and renewable energyNational Energy AuthorityPhone: +354 569 6000

Email: asl@os.is

occurred in the last few years but there are many challenges in adopting those developments for marine applications and in some cases alternative solutions need to be found. The Nordic countries have taken steps towards increasing the use of domestic resources to substitute for fossil fuels. Strides have been made to increase the use of bio-fuels and renewable electricity. The marine sector can be an ideal platform for utilization of such resources but little progress has been made.

Read more at www.norden.org/bioeconomy

What is NordBio?The Nordic bioeconomy initiative, NordBio, is a project initiated as part of the Icelandic chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2014. The aim is to promote a more sustainable utilization of natural resources and encourage less waste of resources.

The initial run of the program and all associated projects is three years and it involves a broad range of sectors. Implementation of the program will thus require close multidisciplinary collaboration.

The focus will be on projects that add economic, environmental and educational value. The Nordic countries have good prerequisites for clearing the path for a more biobased economy and also have a very holistic approach to societal change. Hence they are well placed to lead the way in this field.