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Wilson Sons sets record for ship-to-ship LNG operations

Photo: Wilson Sons wilsonsonsts.jpg
During the last 10 months, Wilson Sons has registered a record of LNG ship-to-ship operations (STS).

Wilson Sons towage unit operated in more than 15 operations to transfer LNG from gas tankers to FSRUs. Most of the operations took place at Celse's terminal in Barra dos Coqueiros, followed by the GNA’s terminal at Açu Port.

Only in October, there were six STS operations, one of which with a Q-FLEX vessel, a record for the sector. By the end of this year, five more operations are planned in Sergipe.

“The year of 2022 also promises good results for the port support market in the LNG sector. Three new terminals should go into operation, such as the one in Barcarena, the Gas Sul in Santa Catarina and the third in Suape”, said Elísio Dourado, commercial director of the unit.

Today, five LNG terminals, which use FSRUs, are in operation in Brazil. There are three from Petrobras, one from Celse and one from GNA. Wilson Sons operates at the Petrobras unit in Pecém (CE), in addition to Celse and GNA terminals. "The outlook remains positive in the medium term, with the possibility of new operators entering the market for gas to wire projects,” added Dourado.

The company is prepared to meet the increased demand. With 80 tugs, it has the largest and most powerful fleet on the Brazilian coast – 93% of the tugs have azimuthal propulsion (ASD) and four are escort tugs – and, this year, the construction of a series of six other high-powered vessels has begun in the Wilson Sons shipyard in Guarujá (SP).

“The new units will have IMO TIER III standard, with a reduction of more than 75% of the emissions of nitrogen oxides, which is considered a greenhouse gas,” he explained

For STS operations the company’s Towage Operations Centre (COR) monitors vessels 24 hours a day, in real time, through the AIS antenna network and uses technologies such as artificial intelligence to develop manoeuvring strategies.