Germany’s bremenports GmbH & Co. KG (Bremenports) has announced the launch of the LNG-powered hopper barge “greenports 1” which is “presumably the first working vessel at a European seaport to be powered by eco-friendly liquefied natural gas.”
“This is a big day for the ports of Bremerhaven and Bremen,” said Robert Howe, Technical Managing Director of bremenports, at the ceremony in Foxhol. “Both Bremen’s government and bremenports are banking on sustainable port operations which pay due attention to environmental protection. One of the targets of our greenports strategy is to reduce shipping emissions at local level.”
Accordingly, said Howe, the fleet of bremenports vessels was now undergoing ecological modernisation.
Right now, the new-build vessel, which will bear the name “greenports 1”, still bears very little resemblance to a ship. At the ceremony held recently, the hull went down the slipway without superstructures, engines or other equipment.
The gas-diesel-electric propulsion system still has to be tested by Sandfirden, the engine supplier, before it is installed, to ensure optimum interaction of the power generators (two gas engines, one diesel engine, one battery unit consisting of ten individual blocks, the drive system and on-board electronic equipment.
The two tanks, each of which can hold six cubic metres of LNG, are currently being manufactured in Asia and are scheduled for installation in June. They will receive their first filling of LNG at the shipyard shortly afterwards. “Once the vessel is in operation, fuel will be delivered by truck in Bremen or Bremerhaven,” explained Howe, adding that bremenports would also have to provide additional training for the crews, as this is a mandatory requirement for LNG-powered barges.
“LNG as a propulsion technology is still a niche market in the shipbuilding industry,” says Roelof Kregel, Technical Managing Director of the Dutch shipyard. He expects to see an increase in demand for the eco-friendly technology in future. “Building this barge for the ports of Bremen was a landmark project for the market,” said Kregel. “We deliver good work and hope to receive further orders – including orders for more hopper barges from bremenports.”
Source & Image Credit: www.bremenports.de
