Fjord Line to rebuild LNG-powered vessels to dual-fuelled due to high prices

Norwegian ferry company Fjord Line has decided to convert its two LNG-only-powered ferries to dual-fuelled so they can also run on conventional LSMGO.

PHOTO: A ferry operated by Fjord Line. Fjord Line

Fjord Line's decision was grounded in the recent high cost of LNG, which it says has impacted its profitability. It has reduced the vessels' voyages between Norway and Denmark since early autumn to compensate for these high LNG fuel costs.

The company plans to switch its MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord ferries from single-fuel LNG engines to dual-fuelled engines. The conversions are expected to be completed by next spring.

Several shipowners have typically preferred dual-fuelled engines over single-fuel engines, primarily due to the adaptability it provides for operating the vessels on conventional fuel before other alternative fuels become more readily available at scale.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. But its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Nithin Chandran

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