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DNV acquires majority stake in Aqualis to strengthen infrastructure assurance for Chile's aquaculture industry. The acquisition expands DNV's assurance capabilities in one of the world's leading salmon-producing countries, strengthening infrastructure inspection, certification and traceability services for the Chilean aquaculture industry. DNV has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Aqualis, a leading provider of aquaculture infrastructure inspection and certification services in Chile. The acquisition strengthens DNV's position in one of the world's largest aquaculture producing countries and expands its ability to help producers meet evolving regulatory requirements through assurance of their critical assets. Authorized by Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) to provide certification under Standard 1821, Aqualis has rapidly established itself as one of Chile's leading providers of aquaculture infrastructure inspection and certification services. Operating across all three of Chile's principal sea-based aquaculture regions, the company works with many of the country's largest salmon producers and has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner through its commitment to quality, transparency and technical excellence. "Chile is one of the world's most important aquaculture producers and continues to play a leading role in the industry's development," said Geir Fuglerud, CEO of Life Sciences at DNV. "As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, producers increasingly need assurance partners that combine technical expertise, operational scale and digital innovation. Robust infrastructure assurance underpins sustainable operations, supports fish welfare and helps build confidence across the aquaculture value chain. Aqualis has built an impressive reputation as a key business partner to many of Chile's leading producers, and together we are strengthening our ability to support a safe, sustainable and trusted aquaculture industry." Aqualis has built a fully integrated and scalable inspection and certification business, combining specialist expertise with state-of-the-art inspection technology. The company's approach aligns with the evolving needs of the Chilean aquaculture industry, where increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing expectations around infrastructure integrity, transparency and certification are driving demand for more comprehensive assurance services. Rikard Albrigtsen, International Business Development Lead at DNV added: "Effective infrastructure assurance is about much more than meeting regulatory requirements. It provides operators with confidence that critical assets are performing as intended, while giving them the insight needed to manage risk proactively. We can help producers make better-informed decisions, strengthen asset integrity and support safe, reliable operations throughout the lifecycle of their farms." A key element of Aqualis's service offering is its proprietary digital platform, which provides customers with complete visibility of inspection findings, infrastructure status, certificates and historical records for every farming site. By enabling full inspection traceability, the platform helps producers demonstrate compliance, improve oversight of infrastructure assets and streamline certification throughout the asset lifecycle. "Joining DNV marks an exciting milestone for Aqualis," said Nicolas Mayer-Rechnitz de Petris, Managing Director of Aqualis. "Since our establishment, our ambition has been to deliver a more transparent approach to aquaculture infrastructure assurance. Becoming part of DNV allows us to build on that vision by combining our local expertise with DNV's global assurance experience, creating even greater value for customers as regulatory expectations continue to evolve." The acquisition combines Aqualis' strong local market position, integrated service offering and inspection capabilities with DNV's global expertise in assurance, certification and risk management. Together, the companies are well positioned to support the continued development of Chile's aquaculture industry through trusted and digitally traceable infrastructure assurance.

DNV awards its first AI management certification in Japan to LRM. LRM Inc., a leading Japanese information security and governance company, has been certified by DNV to ISO/IEC 42001, the international standard for artificial intelligence management systems. The certification is DNV's first of its kind in Japan. LRM provides information security services through its security education cloud service Seculio and its consulting business. As the company expands the use of artificial intelligence across its services and internal operations, it has also increased its focus on how AI is governed and managed. For LRM, ISO/IEC 42001 provides a structured framework for managing the risks and opportunities associated with this growing use of AI. The standard sets forth requirements for an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) intended to support safe, reliable and ethical development, implementation and use of AI solutions. Building practical experience in AI governance. LRM pursued certification to establish and operate an AI management system within its own organization, building first-hand experience in managing AI. The company also intends to apply the knowledge gained through the process when supporting customers in developing AI governance frameworks and preparing for ISO/IEC 42001 certification. As DNV Group expand the use of AI across its services and internal operations, DNV Group wanted to develop practical experience of managing AI in a structured way. Achieving ISO/IEC 42001 certification has given DNV Group valuable hands-on knowledge that can strengthen both its own AI governance and the support DNV Group provide to its customers * Tetsuya Yukimatsu * Founder and CEO * LRM Strengthening confidence in responsible AI. LRM selected DNV for its global certification experience and expertise in ISO/IEC 42001, as well as its flexibility in delivering the audit in line with LRM's business requirements and schedule. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping companies and industries. It is my great pleasure to congratulate LRM on achieving ISO/IEC 42001 certification. This reflects your commitment to ensure and demonstrate safe, reliable and ethical AI solutions in a trusted and transparent way. DNV Group at DNV are proud to have been your partner on this part of your journey * Barbara Frencia * CEO of Business Assurance * DNV

The development of A Zantingh hydrogen burner. The challenge. Using hydrogen as a fuel reduces CO[2] emissions from industrial heating processes. As a burner manufacturer, U Gaat Bouwen BV is therefore developing a system that operates reliably, remains cost-effective and meets stringent safety requirements. To support the development and testing process, U Gaat Bouwen BV is working with energy engineering consultancy DNV in Groningen, which has extensive testing facilities. Hydrogen behaves differently from natural gas. Its calorific value, density, combustion speed, flame temperature and flue gas dew point all differ. At present, hydrogen is available only in limited quantities and is relatively expensive. In the longer term, it could completely replace natural gas. Safe operation. Because hydrogen is still relatively expensive and available in limited quantities, U Gaat Bouwen BV began by using mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas. U Gaat Bouwen BV gradually increased the hydrogen proportion while reducing the natural gas content. This resulted in a burner system capable of operating with any gas composition: 100% natural gas, 100% hydrogen and every mixture in between. The burner automatically adapts to the gas composition and does not require manual adjustment. The test setup consisted of a Zantingh forced-draught burner installed on a 475 kW, three-pass heating boiler. The fuel-to-air ratio and burner output are controlled by an internally developed, fuel-adaptive control system linked to a Siemens burner management system. A feedforward control system keeps the oxygen concentration in the flue gas and the heat input constant, regardless of the hydrogen content. A gas quality sensor installed in the fuel supply line measures the gas composition. This data is transmitted to a PLC running the combustion algorithm. The algorithm continuously calculates the required fuel and air flow rates to maintain the specified ratio and desired output. During testing, NO, NO[2], CO and C[x]H[γ] concentrations, as well as oxygen levels, were measured continuously. The system continues to operate stably even when the air demand and Wobbe Index change. Both the oxygen concentration in the flue gas and the heat input remain constant. The flame appearance changes visibly: natural gas produces a blue flame, whereas hydrogen produces a more orange flame. Across mixtures ranging from 0% to 100% hydrogen, the flame remains stable, and the burner surface temperature does not increase noticeably. The high flame temperature associated with hydrogen combustion results in thermal NO[x] formation. Flue gas recirculation is used to keep these emissions below the applicable statutory limits. Cost-Effectiveness. Hydrogen combustion does not produce CO[2] at the point of use. One major advantage is that existing boilers, furnaces and industrial installations can largely remain in service. There is no need to completely redesign the process. This keeps investment costs lower than those associated with full electrification. Electric solutions can reduce CO[2] emissions, but they are not always technically or economically viable. A high-capacity grid connection is often required, and grid congestion can make this unavailable. In some processes, direct interaction between the flue gases and the product is essential. In such cases, hydrogen offers a practical alternative. Based on the tests, U Gaat Bouwen BV conclude that this burner system enables the use of hydrogen within the existing gas network infrastructure, both during the transition period and in a future scenario in which natural gas has been completely replaced. Background: hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is colourless, odourless and flammable. Its combustion produces water vapour. For this reason, hydrogen is considered an energy carrier with significant potential to help decarbonise industry. Hydrogen does not occur naturally in significant quantities in its free form and must therefore be produced, for example, through the electrolysis of water. When renewable electricity is used for this process, the result is known as green hydrogen. Hydrogen can replace natural gas in industrial processes. Much of the required transport can take place through the existing gas network. Infrastructure for production, transport, storage and imports is currently being developed. Hydrogen can be stored in several ways, including in underground salt caverns. This makes it possible to use surplus energy generated by wind and solar power. Research by Hydrogen Europe indicates that, at the European level, combining electricity and hydrogen networks is less expensive than expanding the electricity grid alone. Between 2030 and 2050, this approach could save hundreds of billions of euros. The European Commission expects electricity to account for approximately 50% of energy demand by 2050. Achieving this will require a substantial expansion of the electricity grid. The associated investment requirements are significantly higher than those for hydrogen infrastructure. The future hydrogen network is expected to grow to more than 50,000 km by 2040. Approximately 60% of this network is expected to consist of repurposed natural gas pipelines. This reduces costs and shortens implementation times. Europe will also need to import hydrogen. Some regions have abundant renewable energy resources but relatively low local demand. Hydrogen can be transported through pipelines or in the form of hydrogen carriers such as ammonia or methanol. The most suitable option depends on the distance, the application and the costs involved. Underground hydrogen storage is necessary to balance supply and demand. It supports both the hydrogen system and the electricity grid. However, investment in hydrogen infrastructure remains below expectations, partly because of lengthy development and implementation timelines and uncertainty surrounding regulatory frameworks. Hydrogen makes it possible to reduce CO[2] emissions without completely replacing existing industrial processes. It therefore offers a practical step towards a low-carbon energy system. You can find this item in its free magazine.