The Week in Alternative Fuels
These are some of the key developments in alternative bunker fuels from the past week.
PHOTO: Dutch shipmaker Conoship International is building a 3,600 DWT cargo carrier that is ready for wind assisted propulsion at Fosen Yard Emden, Germany. Conoship International Projects
The Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) has ordered two ammonia-ready bulk carriers from China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Qingdao Beihai yard.
Dutch shipmaker Conoship has launched a hybrid diesel-electric vessel, which is also designed to use hydrogen and ammonia as fuels in the future.
UK’s engineering and industrial manufacturer Langley Holdings has acquired marine technology company Bergen Engines from Rolls-Royce to bolster its plans for zero-carbon initiatives, including a research on use of ammonia as maritime fuel.
Renewable energy company European Energy has partnered Denmark's Hanstholm port to explore e-methanol and hydrogen production using Power-to-X technology.
Hybrid battery options are becoming more mainstream. Norwegian vehicle carrier owner and operator UECC has launched its third hybrid LNG-battery vessel.
Norway-based Kanfer Shipping is exploring LNG bunker charter opportunities in Spain and Portugal, and France’s Elengy has started LNG loadings at Fos Cavour port with an eye on bunkering in the west Mediterranean region.
Here are the top stories in alternative fuels this week:
Belgium-based CMB orders two ammonia-ready bulk carriers
The Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) has ordered two 210,000 dwt bulk carriers to be manufactured by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Qingdao Beihai yard.
The Belgian shipping company has ordered a total of eight ships from CSSC, the Chinese shipbuilder says.
Conoship introduces hybrid diesel-electric inland cargo vessel
Dutch shipmaker Conoship International Projects (CIP) says the 3,600 DWT is ready for wind assisted propulsion and its design allows use of hydrogen or ammonia fuel in the future.
The cargo carrier, the first in a series of six such vessels, will be constructed this year at Fosen Yard Emden, Germany. The remaining vessels may be delivered by 2023.
The vessel can be equipped with two Econowind VentiFoils for wind propulsion which can cut fuel consumption as well as carbon dioxide by 10% based on the sailing route, says CIP. Ventifoils are wing-shaped elements that assist in ship propulsion.
This is the latest initiative to decarbonise inland cargo shipping in northern Europe.
In December, gas provider Air Liquide signed an agreement to provide carbon-free hydrogen to Future Proof Shipping’s (FPS) inland container ship FPS Maas which plies between the Netherlands and Belgium.
In September last year, Dutch clean shipping consortium Zero Emission Services’ (ZES) inland vessel Alphenaar started transporting beer for Heineken between Alphen aan den Rijn and Moerdijk in the Netherlands while being powered by interchangeable batteries.
Langley Holdings acquires Bergen Engines from Rolls-Royce with eye on net zero shipping
UK-based engineering and industrial manufacturer Langley Holdings has acquired Norwegian engine builder Bergen Engines as part of its net zero strategy to make engines for low emission fuels.
“The acquisition of Bergen Engines is a major step towards our net zero objectives,” says Tony Langley, chairman and chief executive, Langley Holdings.
Bergen Engines, which was acquired from Rolls Royce for €91 million ($103 million), will be part of Langley’s Power Solutions Division.
Langley Holdings agreed last year to co-finance a research project at Bergen Engines that sets out to develop ship engines running on ammonia. The Norwegian government will finance the other share of the €4 million ($4.52 million) project called Ammonia Zero Emissions (AMAZE).
Rolls Royce has previously said its Bergen division is working to develop both Otto and diesel engines powered by ammonia as a marine fuel.
The aim is to build flexible dual-fuel engines that can be retrofitted to burn alternative fuels with zero-carbon emission potential like ammonia, methanol, hydrogen and various other synthetic fuels, in addition to conventional oil- and gas-based fuels.
European Energy to explore e-methanol production in Denmark’s Hanstholm
Denmark’s Hanstholm fishing port has signed a letter of intent with renewable energy company European Energy to set up a plant for e-methane hydrogen production.
“We are in the process of identifying possible local CO2 sources in and around the Port of Hanstholm as suppliers for an e-methanol plant, which is a green alternative to the ships' current oil consumption,” says European Energy founder and chief executive Knud-Erik Andersen.
European Energy’s technology can convert carbon dioxide and renewable energy from sources like wind and solar into e-methanol and hydrogen through a process called Power-to-X.
Together with the Port of Hanstholm it will set up a Power-to-X plant to produce e-methanol. Residual products from industrial plants around the Port of Hanstholm can be recycled into renewable energy. They also plan to set up renewable energy plants drawing on wind and solar for power generation.
The Port of Hanstholm says it aims to become Europe's “greenest and first CO2-neutral fishing harbour.”
The two sides plan to begin final negotiations this month.
UECC launches third LNG-battery hybrid vehicle carrier
Norwegian vehicle carrier operator UECC launched its third dual-fuel LNG-battery hybrid pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) in December.
The second of this series of newbuilds, and both are scheduled for delivery to UECC this year. This will take UECC’s total count of eco-friendly PCTCs to five, it says.
UECC says hybrid battery propulsion will help the vessels cut carbon intensity by more than 40% by 2030 compared to 2008 vessel emission levels, which is beyond the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) target.
The company is eyeing an annual 34,500 mt cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2025, up from 18,700 mt last year.
When running on LNG, the vessels will meet the IMO’s Tier 3 NOx emission cap in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. They will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by a quarter and sulphur oxide and particulate matter by 90%, compared to oil-based bunker fuels, UECC says.
Kanfer Shipping partners Suardiaz Group, SSY for small-scale LNG bunker charters in Spain, Portugal
Kanfer Shipping has signed an agreement with logistics company Suardiaz Group and shipping consultancy Simpson Spence Young (SSY) with an eye on the developing small-scale LNG bunker operations in Spain and Portugal.
SSY and Suardiaz Group are “following the small-scale LNG market closely”, Kanfer Shipping says in a LinkedIn post.
The Norwegian LNG bunkering vessel maker says it has signed non-exclusive agreements with the companies to explore “opportunities in these markets in order to find charters for small scale LNG bunkering and distribution ships.”
In June last year, Kanfer Shipping had agreed to work with Australian company Oceania Marine Energy to bring an ammonia-ready LNG bunkering vessel to Australia.
Soaring gas prices last fall delayed some of Kanfer's LNG bunkering projects as it became difficult to find charterers for vessels it had under construction in that pricing environment.
Kanfer had commissioned two 6,000 cbm LNG bunkering vessels to be built at China's Taizhou Shipyard, with an option for another two vessels.
Elengy begins LNG loadings at France’s Fos Cavaou terminal with eye on Med bunkering
French energy company Elengy will provide 50 annual loading slots at the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal for LNG bunker vessels with a capacity of up to 40,000 cbm.
Elengy has set out to develop Marseille-Fos into a Mediterranean LNG bunker hub, saying the port's location makes it possible for LNG bunker vessels to load up on LNG from Fos to supply in the West Mediterranean region.
The LNG bunkering vessel Gas Vitality kickstarted the small-scale bunker loadings at Elengy's Fos Cavaou terminal last week.
The Gas Vitality is owned by French energy company TotalEnergies, which also recently partnered with container shipping company CMA CGM to explore the feasibility of bioLNG bunker supply from Marseille-Fos port.
