A new ESL Shipping bulker carrying LNG bunkers is heading for Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR) on its delivery voyage to northern Europe.
ESL managing director Mikki Koskinen told TradeWinds that the 25,600-dwt Haaga, which was delivered by China’s Jinling Shipyard last month, left Japan on 1 September with a cargo after narrowly missing Typhoon Jebi.
LNG fuelling
Koskinen said Jinling enabled the supply of LNG bunkers to the vessel at the yard. He said the ship, which can also run on low and high-sulphur fuel oil, will travel a considerable amount of the high latitudes running on gas.
The Haaga is equipped with a single 400-cbm type-C LNG bunker tank located on its aft deck that allows the ship to run on gas for 15 days.
Speaking by phone from the naming dinner at Jinling for the sistership bulker Viikki, Koskinen said the decision of whether the ice-strengthened Haaga transits the NSR with or without ice-breaker assistance will depend on the prevailing ice conditions.
ESL has said that taking the NSR shortens the voyage to the Baltic Sea by three weeks over sailing via the Panama Canal.
Once the two vessels arrive in the Baltic, ESL has agreements in place to supply them with LNG by truck and barge at various Scandinavian ports, Koskinen said.
ESL, which is owned by the Aspo Group, said the Haaga and Viikki will generate 50% of the carbon-dioxide emissions produced by its previous generation of vessels. The company says the ships can also be fuelled by carbon neutral biogas, once this becomes available.
The two ships are part of Bothnia Bulk project, which aims to put more eco-friendly vessels into operation between the Scandinavian ports of Lulea Oxelosund and Raahe.
