Hamburg works on LNG feasibility

The visit marked the “LNG – the Norwegian Experience” conference organised by the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Norway and the classification society DNV Germany and signifies the port’s commitment to forging ahead with LNG infrastructure in the future.

KV Barentshav belongs to the Norwegian Coastguard fleet and is deployed for fishery control, sea rescue, policing customs inspections and environmental checks within Norwegian territorial waters.

The vessel is interesting because it has an environmentally friendly motor. Propulsion of the vessel is through a propeller, driven mechanically either via the main engine or a gas-fuelled electric motor. Two engine-rooms and tanks are available for this, one for diesel propulsion and one for gas operation using LNG. The four gas-fuelled engines producing power for the electric motor start and stop automatically, depending on the power requirement. The diesel engine only comes into use for towing assignments and special runs at high speeds of up to 20 knots.

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Linde Group want to promote the use of LNG and are at present compiling a feasibility study on the commercial use of LNG in Hamburg. The findings of this research could be used for making a start on concrete infrastructure projects such as an LNG bunkering facility.

“The Port of Hamburg should be a leader for environmental friendliness and efficiency. In future, propulsion systems using liquefied natural gas should be playing a part here. With worldwide cooperation we now need to create the standards and the foundations for the essential infrastructure. The Port of Hamburg performs an immensely important role as a feeder port for the Baltic and consequently we are working on the essential preliminaries for the LNG infrastructure needed in Hamburg. We are also looking into equipping newbuildings for our own fleet with LNG technology,” said HPA managing director, Jens Meier.

To this end and to further its knowledge in building and operating LNG-powered ships, the Port of Hamburg is working closely with experts from Norway. Norway has had gas powered ferries for over ten years and has the necessary infrastructure in place to refuel ships using LNG.