By Jim Shaw
Federal Way, Washington-based TOTE’s recent announcement
that it had contracted two LNG-fueled container ships from San Diego’s NASSCO
shipyard is one in a growing number of such orders, although TOTE’s order for
two 764-foot by 106-foot vessels represents the largest such LNG-burners
ordered to date. In Europe the STX Finland shipyard at Turku floated out the
56,000-gt cruise ferry Viking Grace for Finland’s
Viking Line in August, with the LNG-burning vessel to inaugurate service on the
run between Turku and Stockholm later this month. The 715-foot by 104-foot
ferry makes use of four duel-fuel Wärtsilä 8L50DF main engines driving twin
fixed pitch propellers, with LNG to be the dominant fuel. Wärtsilä has also
provided its LNGPac system to the Finnish newbuilding, which comprises an
onboard LNG bunkering system as well as two storage tanks, both fitted on the
aft deck, along with related handling and safety equipment. The 2,800-passenger
ferry is expected to use about 20,000 tons of LNG each year which is equivalent
to about 60 tons a day.
LNG Bunkering
LNG for Viking Grace will be
provided by two Swedish units of Germany’s Linde Group, which have been
collaborating on LNG fueling in Stockholm harbor. While Viking Grace was
under construction, Linde’s AGA unit had contracted with Linde’s Gas Cryo AB
division for a bunkering vessel that could deliver LNG to the new ferry.
Norway’s Fiskestrand Verft was contracted to convert a retired car ferry for
the purpose through the fitting of horizontal LNG storage tank of
180-cubic-meter capacity, or about 47,000 gallons, and pump-less LNG bunkering
equipment supplied by Cryo. This vessel will provide LNG bunkers for Viking
Grace at the Stockholm end of its run.
Seeing the potential of LNG as a marine fuel, Linde is
building an LNG terminal in Lysekil, Sweden, close to Gothenburg, that will be
capable of providing LNG to the transportation sector while a second terminal
is being built at Hamburg where the German government has recently decided to
exempt LNG from tax if it is used as ship fuel. The latter project is being
spearheaded by the newly created joint-venture company Bomin Linde LNG that
plans to cover the complete LNG value chain in Europe, from purchasing and
transport through storage to distribution and refueling of ships at strategic
points.
Gas-Only Ferries
In northern Norway, Barents NaturGass AS is supplying LNG to
Torghatten Nord’s growing fleet of LNG ferries and is using LNG-fueled tanker
trucks to do the job. Torghatten Nord, which has a ten-year contract to serve
the Lofoten archipelago, is having a series of LNG-powered ferries built in
Poland, the first two of which have already entered service.
The 96-meter by 17-meter boats are powered by gas-only
rather than dual-fuel engines, the first two vessels making use of the new
Bergen B35:40V12PG engine to give a maximum speed of 21 knots and a service
speed of 19 knots. The second two ferries, to ply shorter routes, have been
equipped with the Bergen C26:33L9 engine giving a service speed of 15 knots.
For fuel storage the ferries carry a single 150 cubic meter
capacity Hamworthy tank located beneath the lower car deck and positioned just
aft of the main engine room. A bunkering station is provided on the port side
of the main deck and it takes three truck loads to fill the empty tank. The LNG
bunkering procedure has been well tested on the growing number of LNG-powered
ferries and offshore vessels now operating along the Norwegian coast.
In addition to its four new ferries, Torghatten Nord is
having three older diesel-powered ferries converted to LNG. Barents NaturGass
AS, which also supplies LNG to two LNG-burning Norwegian Coast Guard vessels,
is establishing LNG distribution facilities at the ports of Bodø, Moskenes and
Lødingen and has plans to eventually transport LNG along the coast by ship.
