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Gases News

20 Mar 2024

ABB to Supply Shore Connection System for DEME’s Fleet in Vlissingen Port

DEME’s Offshore Base in Vlissingen (Credit: DEME Group)

ABB has secured a contract to deliver shore connection installations that will enable DEME’s fleet to avoid emissions when berthed in the Port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands.ABB’s shore connection technology will support DEME’s long-term decarbonization strategy, providing the flexibility required to adapt to changing grid capabilities.Shore connection enables the diverse fleet of dredgers, offshore construction and support vessels to avoid carbon emissions by shutting off their…

11 Mar 2024

OpEd: Focusing on Green Fuels Takes the Focus Off Shipping's Major Problems

Morten Brandborg, CEO of Green Instruments (Credit: Green Instruments)

Shipyard order books show that more and more ships are being built that can run on methanol or liquified natural gas (LNG). Major shipping companies are investing in green fuels for their fleets, and researchers around the world are working intensely to find new solutions that can make the shipping industry greener.This is all good news that strengthens the belief that shipping is reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases, among others. While there is reason for some optimism, as shipping is becoming more sustainable, there is no doubt that we are still very far from the goal.

21 Feb 2024

KR Verifies HMM’s GHG Reduction Calculation Methodology

Song Kanghyun (left), Head & Senior Vice President of KR’s DecarbonizationㆍShip R&D Center, and Kim Shin (right), Chief Container Business Officer of HMM.

KR has awarded a third-party verification certificate for a “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Calculation Methodology” developed by HMM, South Korea’s largest shipping company.The methodology is based on the Renewable Energy Directive II, a regulatory framework adopted by the EU to promote the use of renewable energy to all member states.The greenhouse gas reduction methodology verified by KR involves calculating the amount of reduced greenhouse gases (GHG) based on the fuel's life cycle emissions (WtW…

12 Feb 2024

Survitec Saftey System Earns Type Approval

Image courtesy Survitec

Dry chemical powder solutions have long safeguarded LNG and LPG cargo vessels, but as the industry embraces liquefied gases as a propulsion fuel, the unique requirements for protecting bunkering stations on a wider range of vessels, such as large cruise ships, containerships, and tankers, is becoming increasingly important. In response to the growing demand for advanced fire safety solutions to support the maritime's energy transition, Survitec has reconfigured and enhanced its Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) fire extinguishing system.

29 Jan 2024

World's Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail, Bringing Concerns About Methane Emissions

Icon of the Seas (Photo: Royal Caribbean International)

The world's largest cruise ship is set for its maiden voyage on Saturday, but environmental groups are concerned that the liquefied natural gas-powered vessel - and other giant cruise liners to follow - will leak harmful methane into the atmosphere.Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas sets sail from Miami with capacity for 8,000 passengers across 20 decks, taking advantage of the surging popularity of cruises.The ship is built to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which burns more cleanly than traditional marine fuel but poses greater risks for methane emissions.

24 Jan 2024

Crowley's All-electric Harbor Tug eWolf Delivered

Crowley's eWolf is the first all-electric ship assist harbor tugboat in the U.S. (Photo: Crowley)

Crowley on Wednesday announced it has taken delivery of its groundbreaking vessel eWolf, the first all-electric, ship assist harbor tugboat in the United States.The 82-foot tug, designed by Crowley’s engineering services team and built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, will enter service at the Port of San Diego this spring following final demonstration trials and completion of Crowley’s microgrid shoreside charging station. The vessel will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tug…

02 Jan 2024

Germany Builds up LNG Import Terminals

© JET-PIX / Adobe Stock

German utility RWE on Jan. 1 handed over floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure at Brunsbuettel on the North Sea to state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) as agreed when first imports arrived 10 months ago, it said.DET is now the sole operational manager and markets the capacity of the Brunsbuettel Elbehafen LNG project.Germany's quest to increase LNG capacity for regasification on its shores has intensified as it seeks to end reliance on Russian pipeline gas…

26 Dec 2023

Crowley's All-electric Tug eWolf Starts Sea Trials

Video screen capture from video shared by Crowley on social media.

The first all-electric tugboat built in the United States, Crowley's eWolf, has started sea trials along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The 82-foot ship assist tug, built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, is expected to enter service at the Port of San Diego in 2024. Video footage of the vessel on sea trials was shared by Crowley on social media.The eWolf is designed to operate on full electric power, producing zero carbon emissions and expected 70 ton bollard pull strength.

22 Dec 2023

MOL Gets ClassNK Blessing for Ammonia FSRU Design

Credit: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been awarded an approval in principle (AiP) by ClassNK for a design of Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for ammonia.The ammonia FSRU has been jointly developed by MOL and MHI Group’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.Obtains AiP for Ammonia FSRU Design - A Step Toward Safe Utilization of Ammonia for DecarbonizingThe AiP gives MOL further assurances in its design and development of ammonia FSRU, the technology, which enables a large scale of storage and distribution of seaborn ammonia.Introducing the ammonia FSRU concept…

18 Dec 2023

Two Electric Tugs Built for SAAM Towage in Canada

(Photo: SAAM Towage)

The first electric tugs for SAAM Towage's fleet are ready to sail from the Port of Tuzla to Vancouver, Canada, where they will join the fleet operating in that country.SAAM Towage's Engineering and Development Manager, Pablo Cáceres, said, "We are one step closer to having our electric tugs operating, which for us represents the way to advance towards more sustainable operations and move our business into the future."The Sanmar-built vessels have successfully completed their final seaworthiness trials and will soon be loaded onto the cargo ship BBC Emerald…

07 Dec 2023

Carbon Capture Chasm Exposed at Climate Summit

Copyright VectorMine/AdobeStock

Carbon capture and storage has emerged as flashpoint at the UN climate conference in Dubai about how big a role it is destined to play in reaching the target of net zero emissions.It has also prompted an unusual and bad-tempered confrontation between senior officials at the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).In the run up to the conference, the IEA called on oil and gas producers to let go of "the illusion that implausibly…

05 Dec 2023

Erma First gets AIP for Onboard Carbon Capture System

Konstantinos Stampedakis, Erma First Co-Founder and Managing Director. Image courtesy Erma First

Erma First received Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV for its amine absorption-based Onboard Carbon Capture (OCC) system, which was put to the test onboard a RoRo ship.The system uses amine absorption technology and a proprietary amine solvent to absorb CO2 from flue gases. When heated, the chemical reaction that occurs reverses the absorption and separates the CO2 from the solvent. The CO2 that is released is subsequently liquified and stored under cryogenic conditions onboard and the regenerated solvent can be re-used, creating a highly efficient regenerative OCC process.

30 Nov 2023

Viking Vela Floated Out

Source: Finantieri

Viking Vela, the first of a new series of cruise ships that Fincantieri is building for the shipowner Viking, has been floated out at the shipyard in Ancona. The delivery is scheduled for late 2024.The vessel will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. She will have a gross tonnage of about 54,300 tons, will be equipped with 499 cabins and will be able to accommodate 998 passengers on board.Viking Vela will spend its inaugural season sailing voyages in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.“Together with Fincantieri…

28 Nov 2023

Report Highlights EU Live Animal Transport Issues

Source: Eurogroup for Animals

A new report provides insights into animal welfare issues during transport within and from the EU.Around 44 million farmed animals a year are transported, including unweaned calves and lambs on journeys from Europe lasting up to three weeks.Inadequate and misleading official records are masking the true horror and scale of the EU’s long-distance trade in farmed animals, say the international NGOs Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming, on release of the report.

27 Nov 2023

COP28 Puts Spotlight on Methane Pledges

Source: Global Methane Pledge

Delegates at this year's U.N. COP28 climate summit are anxious to boost the world's climate change agenda with concrete plans for clamping down on the second-most prominent greenhouse gas – methane.While more than 150 countries have promised since 2021 to slash their methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030 under the U.S.- and EU-led Global Methane Pledge, few have detailed how they will achieve this.What is needed now is to turn those pledges into urgent action – with financial…

16 Nov 2023

SWITCH Maritime Raises $10 Million to Grow Its Green Ferry Fleet

Sea Change (Photo: SWITCH Maritime)

SWITCH Maritime announced plans to grow its U.S. fleet of zero-emission ferries following the completion of a $10 million in a Series A round led by Nexus Development Capital.Founded in 2018, SWITCH’s mission is to enable private and public municipal ferry operators to more easily replace their carbon-intensive, diesel-powered fleets while reducing operating and fueling costs over the lifetime of their vessels.The fundraise comes on the back of the completion of its flagship zero-emission vessel…

17 Nov 2023

Bringing the Capital Construction Fund Program Ashore

© William A. Morgan / Adobe Stock

On May 5, 2023, the White House announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was “taking the next step to invest $3 billion in its Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission port equipment and technology and to help ports develop climate action plans to reduce air pollutants, improve air quality and public health in neighboring communities, and advance environmental justice.” That “next step” was the issuance of a Request for Information to inform EPA of the availability…

14 Nov 2023

Japan: LNG-Powered Coal Carrier Starts Operation

Credit: MOL

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Kyuden) said Tuesday that a Panamax coal carrier that uses low-environmental-impact LNG as its main fuel was delivered and started operation on November 14.In a naming and delivery ceremony held at the Imari Shipyard and Works of Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the new vessel was named Reimei.The Reimei, a large LNG-fueled coal carrier, is operated by MOL to transport coal from overseas to Kyuden's coal-fired thermal power plants.Credit: MOLCompared to conventional marine fuel…

09 Nov 2023

Sustainable Fund Launched for Methanol Fleet

Source: ProMarine

ProMarine AG has launched an industry-first sustainable shipping fund with an initial portfolio of four methanol-fuelled MR tankers led by Proman and Stena Bulk.Low Emission Methanol Shipping Company S.C.A. SICAV–RAIF (LEMSCO) is the result of a collaboration between Proman and Stena Bulk. The fund is backed by equity investors and benefits from a green loan from ABN AMRO. LEMSCO's seed assets consist of four methanol fuelled vessels acquired from Proman and Stena Bulk: Stena Pro Patria…

02 Nov 2023

RAL Electric Tugs @ Sea Trials

Image courtesy Sanmar Shipyards

Two electric-powered emissions-free electric tugboats built by Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye are undergoing sea trials ahead of being delivered to SAAM Towage’s Canadian fleet. The tugs are based on the ElectRA 2300SX design from Robert Allan Ltd (RAL). They were launched on April 8 and September 9 respectively, and measure 23.4m LOA, with an 11.9m beam and maximum draft of 5.5m, and a bollard pull of 70 tonnes based on a battery power of 3616 kWh.The tugs have Schottel SRP460 LE thrusters with 2,700mm diameter propellers, and can achieve a speed ahead of 11.5 knots.

10 Oct 2023

Erma First CCUS Earns LR AIP

Image courtesy Lloyd's Register/Erma First

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to ERMA FIRST for its amine absorption-based Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) system.ERMA FIRST’s CCS system uses absorption technology to mix CO2 (carbon dioxide) flue gases with a proprietary amine solvent, which is then heated to produce a chemical reaction which reverses the absorption and separates the CO2 from the solvent. The CO2 from this process is then liquified and stored under cryogenic conditions onboard with the solvent ready to use in the same process again…

05 Oct 2023

Port of Rotterdam Offers 'Substantial' Port Fee Reduction to for Ships that Bunker Sustainable Fuels

Credit: Port of Rotterdam

Port of Rotterdam said Thursday it would offer "a substantial port fee reduction" for ships that bunker sustainable fuels in Rotterdam, "supporting the recently announced Zero Emissions Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) and recognizing front runners in the road to maritime decarbonization."Boudewijn Siemons, COO and CEO a.i. of the Port of Rotterdam: “It is vital that the shipping industry makes the switch to zero-emission fuels. The ZEMBA consortium has launched a fantastic initiative with a willingness to pay carriers a premium for the use of zero-emission fuels…

08 Nov 2023

FOCUS-How Shipping More US Natural Gas to Europe Helped Fuel CO2 Pollution

Credit: alexlmx/AdobeStock

Carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. liquefied natural gas facilities have jumped to 18 million tons per year, up 81% since 2019, adding a volume of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere equivalent to that produced by several big coal plants, according to United States government data.They could more than double to 45 million tons per year by the end of the decade as new facilities, encouraged by soaring overseas demand for the super-cooled fuel, come online, according to company projections provided to the U.S.