The system, developed jointly by Hamburg-based Marine Service GmbH and Newport Shipping UK LLP, is designed both for new and existing container vessels. LNG fuel tank containers are stowed in a safe area where piping, venting and fire-fighting systems are integrated in the cell guide structure.
The gas handling room is sited adjacent to the container storage area but separated by a cofferdam and fire protection systems. Low- and high-pressure fuel gas systems for all known four-stroke and two stroke dual-fuel engines are available, the companies said.
They claim an immediate carbon reduction of 20-25%, with scope for additional cuts when more bio-LNG and synthetic LNG become available. The LNG containers, which have capacity for 33 cu m of LNG, are suitable for use on a wide range of ship sizes from mainhaul arterial vessels to feeder ships. They have class-approved Type C tanks in line with the IGF Code and are based on TÜV-certified, IMDG-approved requirements. The fuel containers are available with a standard structure and should facilitate faster retrofits, the companies said, as compared with some other retrofit arrangements.
The system would, however, result in a reduction in cargo capacity with illustrations showing the entire aft row of the container stack turned into a fuel storage system.
Newport Shipping, which operates through a network of 15 shipyards with 38 docks, is now offering full retrofit services with flexible financing options. Asked about the record LNG prices prevailing today and its possible impact on owners’ strategies, Newport Shipping CEO Lianghui Xia pointed out that fuel prices are noted for their volatility and, in any case, the challenges faced by shipowners today are not only about the cost of fuel.
Many existing ships will have to address the issue of carbon efficiency within the next 2-3 years. There are advantages to the company’s retrofit scheme, Xia said, including access to finance and the fact that the fuel containers could be leased, rather than owned.
Christian Krämer, chairman of Marine Service, said: “We are glad to have reached an Approval in Principle from BV for our containerised LNG as fuel solution. LNG is one of the most promising alternative fuels by now.”
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