The first ship-to-ship LNG fuel transfer in the Baltic is being hailed as a major step forward for gas-powered vessels.
On Sunday, the 1,036-teu Wes Amelie (built 2011) received gas fuel from the 7,500-cbm Kairos (built 2018) while in an anchorage off Visby, Sweden, fuel company Nauticor announced.
"The successful operation proves again that LNG is becoming a fuel for all segments in the shipping sector and that the availability of the molecules is secured in Northwest Europe," said Mahinde Abeynaike, chief executive of the German fuel company.
"We are happy to support the efforts of those pioneers who are working on establishing LNG as fuel for containerships by providing highest quality standards and cost-efficient LNG supply solutions.”
The Wessels Reederei-owned, Unifeeder-operated Wes Amelie was converted to LNG fuel in 2017 for use in feeder routes through the North and Baltic seas. Nauticor, part of the Linde Group, has been fueling the ship since it began operations.
LNG as fuel has been tipped as a plentiful, price-competitive way for shipowners to comply with the upcoming IMO 2020 emissions regulations. A poll by Parisian classification society Bureau Veritas at a recent meeting of its Asia and Australia committee showed 11% of owners choosing LNG to comply.
Since converting the Wes Amelie, Wessels Reederei announced three more LNG fuel conversions.
“The container feeder segment is predestined for the use of LNG as marine fuel and ship-to-ship LNG bunkering is an elementary component” said Wessels Marine managing director Christian Hoepfner, Managing Director of Wessels Marine. “Wes Amelie has convincingly shown that the use of LNG substantially benefits the environment along the feeder routes and raises advantages for the operators."
