Nordic gas major Gasum Oy has announced that it has conducted its first truck-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation in Germany. Gasum delivered LNG to the world’s first LNG-fueled research vessel ATAIR currently under construction at Fassmer shipyard in Berne/Motzen.
ATAIR is the world’s first LNG-fueled research vessel. The vessel will enter into service in 2020 and will replace the old ATAIR, commissioned in 1987. Fassmer was awarded the contract to build the ship for the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), which will use the vessel for sea surveying, wreck search, and research.
Gasum is delivering the LNG and supporting Fassmer in the execution of the operation at the shipyard. The decision to equip the ATAIR with engines that can run on LNG was made because LNG emits significantly fewer emissions compared to a diesel-fueled ship.
Cleaner air and less noise
As a result, the new ATAIR does not only comply with the TIER III exhaust emission regulations but also with the Environment Protection Agency’s TIER IV rules regarding soot particles. Furthermore, the underwater sounds of the vessel are optimized, which protects the marine environment and ensures optimal conditions for scientific work.
Our first LNG bunkering operation with trucks in Germany was a great success and we are proud that we can support the Fassmer shipyard with this very important newbuild project. Gasum has already supported customers with ship-to-ship deliveries in northwest Europe. However, this truck-to-ship delivery underlines our commitment to expand our geographical footprint in continental Europe. We are working actively on extending our business in the region and have lined up several projects in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium, said Jacob Granqvist, Sales Director, LNG Maritime, Gasum.
According to Gasum, LNG is the cleanest available fossil marine fuel, and it is rapidly becoming the most commonly used alternative to traditional marine fuels such as heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine gas oil (MGO).
The use of LNG significantly improves local air quality as well as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 20 percent compared to other fossil fuels, and it meets all the current and forthcoming regulations set out by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU.
Furthermore, LNG is suitable for all vessel types.
