LNG - Bunkers

Growth in LNG-fuelled projects

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) has published two new guidelines to improve the safety of LNG-fuelled ships. The documents are intended to assist greater standardisation in crew competency and vessel design. SGMF’s Operation of ships with LNG – competency and assessment guidelines defines the skills required for any party involved in the preparation, storage, handling and use of gas as a marine fuel. The guidance can also be used by organisations developing training in these competencies.

A new Technical Guidance Note recommends on the best locations for bunker manifolds or bunker stations on gasfuelled ships. The guidance complements existing SGMF documentation on manifold arrangements and is intended to promote compatible bunkering operations across a widening range of bunkering facilities and installations.

Both publications were prepared by working groups comprising SGMF members. They, along with an extensive library of other guidance, are available freely as part of SGMF membership. Non-members can also purchase hard copies.

Mark Bell, General Manager, SGMF commented, “The rhetoric around LNG is rising to fever pitch, but SGMF remains a calm voice calling for consistent safety standards to be applied to the most widely available of shipping’s alternative fuels. We are delighted that our working groups have been able to contribute further to the consolidation of safety standards with these two important publications.”

Meanwhile, SGMF has set up its first regional committee to facilitate co-operation and information sharing as uptake of LNG-fuelled ships surges in the Asia Pacific. The new body held its first meeting during June and already has an ambitious work agenda. Its first tasks will be to prepare a publication on the pathway to green ammonia and a regional dashboard tracking trade patterns to measure the multifaceted impact of conversion to gas as marine fuel. This dashboard will build on an existing East Coast Australia dashboard developed by DNV, released late 2020.

Meanwhile, industry coalition SEA-LNG recognises significant growth in LNG-fuelled vessel orders in 2021. According to the latest report from Clarkson Research Services, LNGfuelled vessel orders are approaching 30% of gross tonnage on order, representing a substantial part of shipping’s overall capacity when these vessels are delivered.

This year (2021) has been a banner year for new LNG dual-fuel vessel construction contracts as reported by DNV and others. This trend is expected to continue. Major deep-sea sectors of the maritime industry are embracing LNG in efforts to reduce both local and global emissions, as LNG-fuelled vessels are one of the only options today that meet the reduced emissions required of environmental finance.

It is anticipated that over 90% of the new PCTCs that will enter the market in the coming years will be LNG dual fuel. Likewise, containership owners and operators are moving to LNG-fuelled tonnage, with orders for LNGfuelled liners increasing five-fold since January 2020. Tankers and bulkers are also following suit, with increases of seven-fold and two-fold respectively over the 18-month period.

A LNG-fuelled PCTC

MAN testing SLNG

During late September, the 13,000 dwt, 1,036 teu containership ElbBLUE bunkered synthetic LNG (SLNG) at the Port of Brunsbuttel on the Elbe, Germany. This is the first such bunkering operation undertaken using SLNG and is being carried out as a test case for the owners and engine manufacturers (MAN Energy Solutions). MAN engineers will accompany the ship on her voyage from Brunsbuttel to St Petersburg, Russia, and then back to Brunsbuttel.

The MAN team will be monitoring all necessary details of the engine’s performance including, pressures, temperatures, revolutions, emissions etc, although, according to Stefan Eefting, Head of MAN PrimeServ Augsburg, “There is no expectation that the results will be any different from the ship’s normal operation – running on LNG. “This represents another important milestone and will once more demonstrate the feasibility of the Maritime Energy Transition, which a MAN Energy solution has been promoting for several years. We have found the perfect partner in Wessels Reederei. Now it’s the duty of politics. After the conversion of the Wes Amelie, a government support programme has been set up for the conversion of more ships to LNG. To make SNG a viable and available option for shipping, governments and regulators need to work closely together. At present, this fuel is far too expensive and not available in sufficient quantities for long-term use.”

To demonstrate that SLNG can successfully be used as a marine fuel, 20 of the 120 tons of LNG that the vessel typically uses on such a round trip will be replaced by climate-neutral SLNG. As a result, CO2 emissions are expected to decline by 56 tonnes for this trip.

As the Wes Amelie, the ship was converted from HFO-driven diesel engine to LNG during 2017 at Germany’s German Dry Docks in Bremerhaven. At that time she was the first vessel to move to LNG fuel using MAN units.

The vessel was built during 2011 as the Wes Amelie by China’s Jiangdong Shipyard, Wuhu and is owned by Germany’s Wessels Reederei, Haren Ems and is part of the Unifeeder pool. She is powered by and MAN 8L51/60 dual fuel diesel engine, which has an output of 9,000 kW. Since 2017, MAN Energy has converted some 10 vessels/year to LNG, however, it will need a massive increase in this figure to attain IMO’s climate target by 2050.

Meanwhile, GoodFuels and Unifeeder have together completed their first bunkering of sustainable marine biofuel in the Port of Rotterdam. Under this new partnership, the 14,669 dwt shortsea containership ElbSUMMER was bunkered with a blend of marine biofuel produced from 100% sustainable feedstock and marine gasoil (MGO) before starting its journey towards Helsinki, Finland.

This is the first bio-bunkering between GoodFuels and Unifeeder, and aligns with both companies’ ambition to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of European transportation and improve the environmental impact of the shipping industry. GoodFuels supplies sustainable biofuels to the global shipping industry that ‘drop in’ existing engines without requiring any modifications to the engine components or fuel infrastructure, and enable instant decarbonisation impact.

GoodFuels’ sustainable marine biofuels reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% well-to-

The ElbBLUE being bunkered with SLNG

exhaust, and eliminate SOx emissions almost entirely. Its entire portfolio of biofuels is 100% sustainable because they are produced from various certified feedstocks labelled as waste or residue.

Similarly to GoodFuels, Unifeeder, which is part of DP World, is also positioning itself as a frontrunner for sustainability in shipping, and is fully dedicated to reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions with its own target of decarbonising its fleet by 50% by 2040. Partnering with GoodFuels is an impactful and immediate way of Unifeeder achieving these goals by using a solution that is market-ready and available today.

New bunker vessel for France

Following successful sea and gas trials, France’s TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have move closer to operational service of the first LNG bunker vessel based in France. The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has marked another step towards her delivery and operational commencement, following the successful completion of her sea and gas trials.

The new vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with MOL and Chinese shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MOL signed a long-term charter contract in November 2019 and construction commenced in April 2020.

The 18,600 m³ capacity vessel was first launched from the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard at the end of April 2021. In June, sea trials were conducted off Shanghai where the new vessel’s navigation and propulsion systems were successfully tested, including speed and manoeuvrability assessments at open sea. Gas trials were completed in early July, under the attendance of the ship management team. Due to go into operational service in the final quarter of 2021, the Marseille will be operated by V-Ships France, under the French flag and will be based in the Port of Marseille-Fos, Southern France, to serve the Mediterranean region. Her first contracts will be to perform LNG bunkering services to CMA CGM’s LNG-fuelled containerships and MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships that call at the French port.

Leveraging the design-and-build experience for TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ first chartered LNG bunker vessel, Gas Agility, the world’s largest LNG bunker vessel in operation, the new vessel will incorporate enhanced equipment boosting its bunkering efficiency and flexibility to supply LNG to a wide range of vessels across various segments and sizes. These improved features include an additional bow thruster, upgraded cargo pumps and high duty compressors, as well as a pressure reduction system to optimise bunkering operations of ‘Type C’ tank vessels under all conditions.

Other key features will be similar to the Gas Agility’s pioneering design. The 135 m long, GTT Mark III membrane vessel will meet the highest technical and environmental standards, herself using LNG as propulsion fuel and integrating a complete re-liquefaction of the boil-off gas.

The Bureau Veritas-classed vessel also underlines a strong collaborative action across the French maritime industry and the excellence of its value chain, from incorporating technologies of leading French companies into the vessel’s shipbuilding, to the supply of LNG, and the involvement of local port authorities to enable the vessels’ safe operatorship. By the end of 2021, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will charter two LNG bunkering vessels in Rotterdam and Marseille and share the use of a third bunker vessel in Singapore. In February 2021, the Singapore entity of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels also received a license from the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to supply LNG in the Port of Singapore from 2022.

Gasum wins Finnish contract and bunkers cruiseship

Finland’s Gasum has won the framework agreement in a competitive tendering process organised by the Finnish government central purchasing body, Hansel Ltd. Gasum will supply LNG, to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Finnish Border Guard for 20212022 as set forth in the framework agreement. The framework agreement has two years additional option. LNG as a marine fuel meets the current as well as future emission limits.

Meanwhile, during late September, in the port of Le Havre, France, Finland’s Gasum bunkered LNG to Le Commandant Charcot, PONANT’s latest LNG-fuelled newbuilt polar exploration vessel. This operation marked Gasum’s first LNG delivery in France and the first LNG bunker operation in the port of Le Havre.

Gasum and PONANT share the dedication both to excellence and to reducing the environmental footprint of the shipping industry. Le Commandant Charcot, named after the

The Marseille on sea trials

renowned French polar scientist and explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, is the first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by LNG. This unique polar exploration vessel is the latest addition to PONANT’s fleet and is set to sail the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

“We have been working on this natural gas powered polar exploration ship project for 6 years and this is already the second LNG bunkering operation we have carried out with Gasum since the delivery of the ship during late July 2021.

These LNG bunkering operations represent the culmination of several years of analysis, engineering and testing to perform these operations safely and with maximum efficiency.

The ship reached the Geographic North Pole for the first time during early September 2021, using LNG throughout its journey. We are fully satisfied and particularly proud of the technical innovations developed on this ship that have enabled us to achieve this exceptional performance.

Le Commandant Charcot is the first passenger ship equipped with high pressure membrane LNG tanks offering up to two months of autonomy on LNG, greater flexibility in its bunkering and operation, and guaranteeing enhanced safety. She paves the way for new and more environmentally friendly LNG propulsion methods and helps to meet the CO2 reduction targets set out in the Paris Agreement.” said Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT. Reducing emissions is crucial as she will be operating in fragile environments, such as the waters of the North Pole and Antarctica. LNG is currently the most environmentally friendly maritime fuel available. Switching to LNG removes completely SOx, PM and reduces NOx emissions up to 85%. LNG also emits at least 20 % less CO2 when compared to traditional maritime fuels.

An artist’s impression of the Fratelli Cosulich LNG bunker vessel

Wärtsilä awarded Italian and HMD contracts

Finland’s Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to supply a complete cargo handling system for a new LNG bunkering vessel. The ship is being built at the Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore and Engineering shipyard in China for Fratelli Cosulich S.p.A, the Italy based shipping group.

The Wärtsilä system selected for this 8,200 m3 capacity bunkering vessel includes a complete engineering, design and equipment supply package for the cargo handling system, including a loading and discharge system, a boil-off gas (BOG) management control and integrated fuel supply system, as well as the custody transfer and bunkering transfer systems.

The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered commencing in 2022, and the ship is expected to start commercial operations in 2023. It will probably operate around Italy’s coastline in the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, Wärtsilä has received two more orders for its complete LNG cargo handling and fuel system. The contract has been awarded by South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), the yard building two LNG bunkering vessels for which the Wärtsilä systems will be required. The 18,000 m3 capacity ships have been ordered by Korea based owners Pan Ocean and Korea Line LNG.

The complete Wärtsilä solution selected for these orders includes the system engineering and design, the boil-off gas (BOG) management control with an integrated fuel supply system, and the custody transfer system. The equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard during the first half of 2022.

The Le Commandant Charcot being bunkered with LNG

BV awards AiP for Malaysian bunker vessel

France’s Bureau Veritas (BV) has delivered an AiP to Malaysia’s LNG Marine for its first LNG Bunkering Vessel concept, which is also the first of its kind ever developed by a Malaysian company.

The development of LNG-fuelled ships is one of the key steps taken by the shipping industry to reduce its emissions and make the transition to a lower-carbon future. Meanwhile, the increased size of this new breed of LNG-fuelled ships is driving bunkering needs well beyond the capacity of LNG trucks previously used for smaller bunkering operations at terminals. This

The Pacific Ruby being bunkered with LNG

has led to the development of LNG Bunkering Vessels (LNG BVs).

The vessel design will reflect industry best practice, as well as the latest features for LNG bunkering operations to cater for all types and sizes of LNG-fuelled ships. BV reviewed the design and confirmed that it meets the technical and regulatory requirements and safety standards. The vessel will integrate the most recent notations in terms of cyber management (CYBER MANAGED notation) and environment protection (CLEANSHIP, GREEN PASSPORT notations). The vessel will also have provision to incorporate a battery-hybrid for reducing its GHG emissions in future operations.

AET tanker bunkered in the US

During October, Singapore’s AET completed its first ever LNG bunkering in the US, working in co-ordination with Shell to refuel the LNG dualfuel Aframax tanker Pacific Ruby outside Port Canaveral in Florida.

The transfer of 600 tonnes of marine LNG onto the 113,305 dwt vessel from the Q-LNG 4000 bunker barge was safely and successfully completed within three hours while the entire bunkering operations took nine hours. The operation was co-ordinated by AET and Shell NA LNG LLC while Pacific Ruby was on its way from Houston bound for Rotterdam.

AET’s Commercial and Operations Teams out of Houston both commercially and operationally managed the full process with Shell and the crew of the Pacific Ruby ensuring efficiency and safety for this first vessel bunkering in the US.

This bunkering milestone also represents further progress in AET’s commitment to reduce the environmental impact of shipping by using lower emission fuels world-wide. At the same time, it also represents another example of the rapid extension of LNG bunkering facilities in the US and globally, allowing LNG supply for transatlantic tanker routes between Europe and the US.

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The Optimus

New LNG bunkering vessel from Damen

The Estonian energy company Elenger has taken delivery of the first of Damen’s new class of LGC 6000 LNG bunkering vessels. Named Optimus, the 100 m vessel will carry up to 6,000 m³ of LNG in two type-C tanks at -163° C. The vessel will be the first LNG bunkering vessel in the Gulf of Finland, serving both LNG powered vessels and smaller shoreside customers. Its introduction is expected to accelerate the wider adoption of LNG as a cleaner alternative fuel in the Baltic Sea by providing a mobile and efficient ship-toship distribution service for the first time.

The tanker was built at Damen Shipyards Yichang and completed its gas trials in Damen Verolme Rotterdam shipyard before being delivered to its owner Infortar for charter by Elenger – the new trademark recently introduced by Eesti Gaas for its export markets.

SORJ