Gasum charters new LNG bunker vessel for Northwest Europe

Finnish LNG supplier Gasum and Swedish tanker operator Sirius Shipping have jointly ordered a 7,800-cbm LNG bunker vessel for delivery in 2027.

CONCEPT: LNG bunker vessel, Celsius. Sirius Shipping

In addition to bunkering equipment, the vessel will feature a 27.7-megawatt (MW) Gas Combustion Unit to perform cooldown and warm-up operations for other vessels' fuel or cargo tanks. “A service that the market has been waiting for,” Sirius Shipping said.

LNG-fuelled vessels periodically require to gas-free their onboard LNG storage tanks. This activity is typically carried out on newbuild vessels, vessels coming out from dry-docking or those requiring inspections and repairs.

During gassing-up and cooling-down (GUCD) operations, the remaining gas stored in tanks is first emptied. Once the gas is safely removed, the storage tanks are cooled from normal to cryogenic temperatures by spraying LNG on the spray nozzles of each storage tank.

LNG cargo tanks need to be cooled down to cryogenic temperatures, as LNG vaporises immediately if it is loaded into warm tanks.

Warming-up operations involve heating the cargo tanks and piping to release trapped gas. A cargo vaporizer and heater onboard vaporise any remaining cargo, warming the gas before circulating it through the system. This raises the overall temperature, freeing residual gas and preparing the tanks for gas-freeing operations.

This specialised service is currently offered by only a few LNG suppliers, including Dutch firm Titan LNG and Indian company Petronet LNG.

By Konica Bhatt

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