It shows what is possible when good forces gather around new solutions
- I am really proud that we have achieved this! It is great for us, both for us politicians who have had the courage to drive this project forward, for Rogaland County Municipality as the owner, and for all the Norwegian and international partners who have been involved from start to finish, says a delighted county mayor in Rogaland, Marianne Chesak.
Rogaland county mayor Marianne Chesak is happy to receive the news that MS "Medstraum" is the winner of Ship of the Year 2022.
- The fact that "Medstraum" is now being put on track has a lot to say for emissions, first and foremost. Traditional fast boats are polluters and with this boat we reduce emissions by around 1,500 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 30 buses every year, says Chesak.
- For Rogaland, it is a big step forward towards the green shift, she tells Skipsrevyen.
Shows what is possible
- I am really proud that we have achieved this. It is big for us, both for us politicians who have had the courage to drive this project forward, for Rogaland County Municipality as the owner, and for all the Norwegian and international partners who have been involved from start to finish, says an elated Chesak.
- It shows what is possible when good forces come together for new solutions to the major societal challenges we face. This is the industry's most prestigious professional award that can be achieved in this country, and Rogaland shows with this that we are at the forefront of the restructuring of shipping.
Massive attention
She points out that the project is attracting a large amount of attention, locally and internationally:
- It also represents an opportunity for Norwegian shipping. Both in terms of concept, construction and export, she says.
- What I am concerned with in the future is enabling the export of pilots such as "Medstraum", and putting Norway on the map internationally as a supplier of climate-friendly transport solutions. It is an important point in the construction of "Medstraum" that it is Norwegian suppliers who are behind the project, she points out.
Great opportunity for export from Norwegian industry
Chesak says that she is aware that far too many public tenders for contracts on green shipbuilding go to foreign shipyards.
- Here, Fjellstrand has shown that they take the challenge head on and deliver solutions that are at the forefront internationally. We know there is a great need and many buyers of such solutions in the international market and this represents a great opportunity for exports from Norwegian industry.
Furthermore, she says that a lot has been learned in the project from concept development to realisation, and also in the work that the government has initiated with a green package for climate-friendly restructuring of shipping:
- I would like to pay tribute to our mobility company Kolumbus, which has been so forward-looking throughout the process. I would also like to praise the cluster NCE Maritime Cleantech, which has been decisive for the project's overall expertise and for the concept to be salable in the market.
The state must stand up
- Medstraum is a very concrete example of how good cooperation between the public and private sectors makes the transition to climate-friendly transport possible in Norway and the rest of the world, says Chesak, and adds that it is also an important point in this project that it was made possible both with funds from the county council through courageous political decisions in the county council, and with large funds from the EU.
- It will be important to obtain funds from the EU in the future to realise this type of project. Going forward, it is also important that the state stands up for financing the transformation that will take place in Norwegian shipping, she adds.
