Heidelbergcement receives the prestigious Heyerdahl Award 2021

The Heyerdahl Award, established in 1999 by the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, is presented to candidates from the maritime industry who contribute to improving the global environment. The prestigious award is presented every two years by members of the Royal Family of Norway.

This year, HeidelbergCement won the award together with Felleskjøpet AGRI for their joint effort to requisition the world's first zero-emission cargo ship and using their role as product owners to initiate development of multiple zero-emission solutions for larger cargo ships travelling longer distances.
In their statement, the award committee said that this year’s winners set a new standard for the product owner’s role in efforts to reduce emissions from shipping.

By establishing demand for emission-free ships, the winners are actively contributing to the acceleration of the green shift in shipping.

Proud award winners

Dr. Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement, was very proud to receive the award for HeidelbergCement.

“It is truly an honor to receive the Heyerdahl Award. Thor Heyerdahl is one of the best known Norwegians throughout history, and his maritime discoveries and focus on the environment are well known all over the world.” And he continued: “As one of the world’s largest building materials producers, HeidelbergCement has the size, the ambition and the innovative strength to make a difference. The zero-emission bulk ship showcases our aim to be a pioneer in our industry by implementing new climate-friendly technologies, much as we are already doing with our full-scale carbon capture project at the Brevik cement plant in Norway. This shipping project has the potential to be a catalyst for change throughout the global logistics community.”

Vast interest in the project

In Norway, HeidelbergCement and Felleskjøpet AGRI will offer a long-term transport contract with a duration of up to 20 years to incentivize selected transport providers to invest in such an emission-free cargo ship.

The project has already met with great interest in the initial phase, with over 30 companies signaling their interest to build the ship.

“Together with Felleskjøpet Agri, we have the ambition to establish an environmentally sustainable transport system,” said Giv Brantenberg, General Manager of HeidelbergCement Northern Europe. “We will combine the cargoes of the two companies and cover the geographical area from the west coast of Norway to the inner Oslofjord in the east.” “The cargo flows will mainly consist of gravel in the eastern direction and grain in the western direction, as part of a coordinated operation,” explained Giv Brantenberg. “The cargo base will almost fully utilise one ship in weekly round trips, and this ship will generate zero emissions of greenhouse gases during operation!”

Emma Sjöberg

Head of Communications Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe