Tag: ethane carriers

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES) has announced that they have completed the world’s first ME-GIE ethane-operated two-stroke diesel engine. The engines will be for propulsion of three ethylene carriers, which primarily will carry liquid ethane as cargo.

 Bureau Veritas is classing the first ethane-powered ship. JS Ineos Insight is the first of a series of eight 27,500 cu m multi-gas Dragon-class vessels being built at Sinopacific, China, for Denmark’s Evergas. The vessel was named on July 14th and is configured for transport of ethane, LPG or LNG. It has options for ethane, LNG and conventional diesel power.Martial Claudepierre, Business Development Manager, Bureau Veritas says:“The ability to burn ethane as well as LNG to power these unique vessels is a major step forward in the use of clean fuels. It means the vessels can use cargo gas during transits to provide a clean and clear commercial and environmental advantage. We have worked with Evergas and the Danish Maritime Authority to verify and ensure that the use of ethane is at least as safe as required by the IGC and will not impair the engine compliance with MARPOL Annex VI.” The Dragon vessels were originally designed with a dual-fuel LNG/diesel power utilising two 1,000 cu m LNG tanks on deck powering two Wärtsilä 6L20 DF main engines with a total of 2,112 kW power and two shaft generators with total 3.600 kW power. The ability to also burn ethane was ...

  The Wärtsilä 50DF marine engine has been successfully tested and certified to run on ethane (LEG) fuel. The extensive and successful testing programme was carried out by Wärtsilä in close collaboration with Evergas, a world renowned owner and operator of seaborne petrochemical and liquid gas transport vessels.  “We are very pleased that the Wärtsilä engines will be capable of utilising ethane boil-off gas as fuel. It increases our operational efficiency and improves flexibility in the bunkering of fuels. All in all it results in a significant reduction in operating costs, while also providing a minimal environmental footprint. It also enables us to offer our customers increased flexibility, which has a monetary value to them,” says Mr Steffen Jacobsen, the CEO of Evergas. The capability to efficiently burn ethane boil-off gas as engine fuel significantly reduces the need of gas re-liquefaction during the voyage. This means that less power is needed for the cargo handling, thus providing a more efficient and environmentally sound overall system. This technological breakthrough enables Wärtsilä´s customers to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Tier III regulations without need of secondary emissions cleaning while using either LNG or LEG as fuel.  The engines have the capability ...

INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with Evergas to order an additional two state-of-the-art ethane carriers. In October 2012 INEOS agreed the world’s first US ethane export contract when it signed agreements to buy gas from US shale producers and capacity in the Mariner East project. Investment in a supply of US ethane is vital to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of gas crackers that so far have relied on declining and expensive volumes from the North Sea. INEOS has now announced it is to add two more ships to its fleet of 6. The increased order for new ethane carriers known as “Dragon Ships” from Evergas, will satisfy the demand from INEOS crackers at  Grangemouth (Scotland) and Rafnes (Norway). At Grangemouth construction of a new ethane import terminal and storage tank and infrastructure is well under way and should be completed in 2016. At Rafnes in Norway, both a new ethane storage tank and terminal, are approaching completion in time to be fully operational in 2015.  David Thompson, Chief Operating Officer INEOS Trading & Shipping says: "The ethane that we are bringing to our sites from the US is essential to ...