LNG Bunkering: SSS Chooses Suitable Ships for Project

The European consortium for Short Sea Shipping (SSS) chooses 8 ships to provide an insight into feasibility of LNG as a bunker fuel.

The selection of ships took place in close co-operation between the SSS consortium partners. Both new designs, new buildings as well as existing ships of Wagenborg Shipping, Damen Shipyards Bergum, Meyer Werft & Conoship International were selected.

The sizes of these ships vary in length from about 80 meter up to 160 meter and in tonnage from about 2.500 until 15.000 dwt. Research for these ships starts with determination of the cost for implementation and use of LNG systems and then the results of this research will be compared against the use of scrubber technology and low sulphur marine diesel to curb engine exhaust gas emissions.

Each of these ships has its own specific operational profile, providing a general insight in the feasibility of LNG for a certain ship type and its sailing route and cruising speed. Not only cargo vessels are investigated in this phase, but attention will be paid also to ferries, bunker vessels and dredgers operating in coastal waters.

LNG for Short Sea Shipping has the following partners: Bureau Veritas, CMTI, Cofely West Industrie, Conoship International, Cryonorm Projects, Damen Shipyards Bergum, Econosto, Koers & Vaart, Lloyds Register, LNG24, Meyer Werft, Pon Power, Rolls Royce Marine, Sandfirden Technics, VIV, Wagenborg Shipping and Wärtsilä.

The project is supported by TKI Gas and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and lasts until December 2014. More information is available here.