BW LPG is to double the number of ships it intends to retrofit with LPG dual-fuelled engines, the shipowner confirmed Monday.
The Singapore-based company, a spin-off of BW Group, said it had exercised an option for the delivery of four additional LPG dual-fuelled engines.
“With this, BW LPG has committed to retrofit eight vessels with pioneering propulsion technology,” the Oslo-listed company said.
The LPG carrier owner said the retrofitting of the first four LPG dual-fuelled engines into four VLGC is taking place as planned this year.
Oslo-listed BW LPG confirmed to TradeWinds that the retrofits will go-ahead in China despite the coronavirus outbreak.
The work is due to be carried out at the Yiu Lian Dockyards (Shekou) Ltd, a shipbuilder that the company has used extensively for repair and retrofit works.
The first four ships being retrofitted are the 84,145-cbm BW Gemini, BW Leo, BW Libra and BW Orion (all built 2015).
'World first'
It was 18 months ago that BW LPG announced what it described as a “world first” initiative to retrofit four LPG dual-fuelled engines in its fleet.
BW LPG has previously stated that the switch will reap it fuel cost savings, voyage efficiencies as well as reduce air emissions.
At the time of the announcement in August 2018, BW LPG guided capital commitments per conversions of between $6m and $9m per vessel.
The company has previously stated that the concept was “environmentally very sound and the engine is 11% more efficient than a normal engine”.
BW LPG is the world's leading owner and operator of LPG vessels, with a fleet of VLGCs and LGCs with a total carrying capacity of over 4m cbm.
Since BW LPG’s announcement a number of other shipowners have headed down the dual-fuelled VLGC road, including Trafigura, Astomos Energy, Geogas and Avance Gas.
However, LPG rival Dorian said late last year that it would “stay away from dual-fuel refits for now”.
The US-listed company said joint studies with ABS and Hyundai on running ships on both conventional bunker and LPG had shown that "the economics don't support a retrofit”.
