PGS makes energy-efficient move for eight of its vessels

Norwegian seismic company PGS is switching to energy-efficient lighting for eight of its seismic vessels as part of its sustainability targets and desire to comply with emission reduction targets and new regulations.

PGS appointed compatriot lighting company Glamox to deliver energy-saving lighting for the eight vessels that deliver seismic surveys of the seabed.

The first phase of the retrofit project will involve replacing fluorescent tube lighting with around 2,500 marine-certified LED luminaires fitted on the exterior and interior of the Ramform Vanguard, Atlas, Titan, Hyperion, Tethys, Victory, Sovereign, and PGS Apollo.

The interior lighting will cover areas such as the bridge, crew quarters, corridors, gangways, stairwells, ladders, and communal areas, while exterior lighting includes floodlights and emergency lighting.

According to Glamox, the specialist luminaires are marine-certified and capable of withstanding the harshest of conditions.

The LED retrofits will be undertaken during normal operations and are expected to be completed in 2025.

“The retrofit of these vessels with energy-efficient LED luminaires should enable us to save energy used for lighting by as much as 60 percent,” said Olaf Brunstad, VP Fleet Management at PGS. “It is the first phase of a major retrofit project which will be ongoing until 2025. Eventually, we aim to retrofit each vessel with around 2,500 new luminaires. This initiative contributes to our goal to reduce our emissions by 75 percent and achieve a Net Zero carbon footprint by 2050.”

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a goal for Net Zero emissions from shipping by 2050 and a reduction of GHG emissions of 70% – striving for 80% – by 2040, compared to 2008 levels.

Also, from January 1, 2023, it became mandatory for all ships to calculate their attained Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) to measure their energy efficiency and to initiate the collection of data for the reporting of their annual operational carbon intensity indicator (CII) and CII rating.

Unrelated to these initiatives, the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive is phasing the most common types of fluorescent tube lighting, Glamox noted.

“Recent new targets set by the International Maritime Organization are putting the maritime industry under increasing pressure to adopt technologies to reduce its carbon footprint,” said Astrid Simonsen Joos, Group CEO of Glamox. “Emission reduction targets and the phase-out of fluorescent lighting due to EU directives for saving energy and eliminating hazardous waste, are seeing a wave of retrofit projects as vessel owners and operators switch to energy-saving LED luminaires.”

PGS at the end of 2023 completed the reflagging of its entire fleet of owned vessels to Norway, a move said to have the global geopolitical situation as a driving factor. The reflagging journey commenced with Ramform Vanguard, registered with the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) in August 2021, and ended with the reflagging of the Ramform Tethys on December 5, 2023.

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