A Norwegian project to produce drinking water in paper cartons is gaining more support from the international shipping industry.
Fresh Water Norway will next month send out its first cartons aimed at replacing plastic.
The largest investors in the project are Oslo Bulk director Alf Andersen, shipping veteran John Hatleskog and Chile's van Appen family.
Andersen revealed that more shipping names have joined the project, including Galbraiths chief executive Bjorn Andersen, Marsh insurance broker Nick Berry and NorthCape managing partner Peter Knudsen.
Steffen Tunge, who heads ship manager OSM, is also on board, he said. The leading management company's stable includes tankers and bulkers owned by John Fredriksen-controlled Golden Ocean Group and Frontline.
Andersen said: “We have received very good response from large shipowners and shipmanagement companies, who view plastic in the ocean and not put ban of plastic as an important theme on the environmental agenda.
The project has so far raised NOK 42m ($4.9m) in equity, initially for producing water in 1.5-litre Tetra Pak paper cartons.
The plant is cited in Porsgrunn, a two-hour drive south of Oslo.
The exports of water will initially go to European customers, with worldwide distribution planned later.
A second share issue is now underway through investment bank Arctic Securities to start making 0.5-lite cartons for offshore and cruise vessels.
Alf Andersen said his Oslo Bulk intends to replace plastic bottles on all of its 30 multipurpose ships, which use some 200,000 bottles per year.
"We think this is good news in the Corona times, where crews are struggling to get home. At least we can give our people good drinking water”.
This article has been amended since publication to reflect that Spring Water Norway has been renamed Fresh Water Norway.
