LNG Bunker Ship (example, from report)
Conclusion: LNG bunkering ship to ship is … a suitable solution to provide environmentally friendly bunker fuel to larger ships
LNG GOT, a partnership between Gothenburg Energy (GE) and the Swedish Port of Gothenburg, are engaged in an effort to introduce LNG as a fuel in Gothenburg. The goal is to contribute to the sustainable city by providing a shipfuel that is much cleaner than the fuel used today. Together, LNG GOT, Swedish Marine Technology Forum, FKAB Marine Design, Cryo AB, Det Norske Veritas AS and White Smoke AB have been working on a technology development project concerning LNG bunkering ship to ship. Out of this has come a newly released project report entitled LNG ship to ship bunkering procedure.
With this results and documentation LNG GOT can continue with the next step with our bunkering project together with our partners. “We are making progress” says Martin Olsson, LNG GOT.
Project Objectives
This project aims at establishing a safe and time efficient ship to ship bunkering procedure for LNG, encompassing the entire bunkering operation, both the operational bunkering process and the technical solutions needed.
Since there are no existing guidelines for LNG bunkering ship to ship, the project will try to establish a foundation for an international standard and accompanying guideline for safe and time efficient bunkering of LNG.
The main objective of this project is for the outcome to be accepted and approved in principal by DNV.
Report Summary
- This document is a procedural description of how LNG (liquid natural gas) bunkering between two ships should be done.
- The document is the result of the joint venture project “LNG bunkering Ship to Ship”, a technology development project carried out by Swedish Marine Technology Forum, FKAB Marine Design, Linde Cryo AB, Det Norske Veritas AS (DNV), LNG GOT and White Smoke AB.
- LNG bunkering ship to ship in port with demands for short operation time have not been performed before and this procedure has been worked out to handle the specific details of this operation in a safe way.
- The procedure is made for ship to ship bunkering of LNG in a port environment, with a dedicated bunker ship rapidly delivering the fuel to client ships while cargo and passenger handling is still in progress.
- The project has developed a LNG bunkering concept that encompasses both the operational bunkering process and technical solutions needed for ship to ship bunkering of LNG.
- The conclusion of this study is that LNG bunkering ship to ship is indeed a suitable solution to provide environmentally friendly bunker fuel to larger ships.
- The concept is accepted and approved in principle by DNV.
- With LNG or LBG as ship fuel, there will be almost no emissions of SOx (sulphur oxides) and particles, very low emissions of NOx (nitrogen oxide) and reduced emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide). If LBG is used the CO2 net value levels are very low.
LNG is a new product in Sweden and a distribution network is not currently structured. However, an intermediate storage facility for LNG is under construction in the Stockholm region and there are also plans for a similar LNG terminal in the Göteborg harbour.
Final documentation from the SMTF project LNG bunker ship to ship can now be downloaded.
(This article primarily compiled using information from an LNG GOT press release and report extracts)
