Svitzer are geared up for LNG

This arrival was significant for several reasons.

Al Khuwair

, the ship in question, is the first of a new generation of Q-Flex super tankers, a vessel of 135,845grt with a loaded draft of 11.71m, completed earlier this year and operated by Teekay Shipping of Glasgow. The cargo of 217,000 m3 of LNG was the first delivery into the UK from Qatar for Centrica, the owner of British Gas.

This first consignment was purchased from the RasGas Company Limited (RasGas), the Qatari LNG producer. It was used in the commissioning of the Phase 2 expansion of the Isle of Grain LNG import terminal, which includes additional tank capacity and, eventually, a second jetty that is currently under construction. The terminal is owned by National Grid, with Centrica owning the rights to import 3.4bn m3 of gas each year for the next 20 years. A projected third phase, secured under a further agreement in May 2007, will increase that figure by an additional 2.4bn m3. Centrica is one of five distributors using the Isle of Grain facility.

This year the UK will import 40% of its gas demand, rising to 75% by 2015. LNG is expected to grow to 28% of UK total supply by 2017, according to National Grid’s 2008 forecast. Centrica also has the rights to a further 2.4bn m3 of annual capacity under a 19 year contract at the third phase of the Isle of Grain, due to be available from 2010-11. This will mean almost 30% of the terminal’s total capacity will be available to supply British Gas customers from that time and overall the Isle of Grain will then be capable of supplying 20% of UK annual demand.

The Svitzer tug fleet stationed at Sheerness is well practised in dealing with LNG tankers and the arrival of the Al Khuwair and its subsequent departure in ballast went without a hitch. The tug crews and pilots have been handling LNG tankers since the terminal first opened for business in 2006. On this occasion Al Khuwair was one of three ships to visit the Isle of Grain terminal in 7 days, all of different types and sizes.

From a towage point of view the entire operation is highly regulated and nothing left to chance. Tug crews and pilots are trained in the berthing procedure using high-tech simulators that enable every facet of the operation to be practised. The simulators used are configured specifically for that particular terminal, the ships and the various tugs contracted to carry out the work.

For most operations in the Medway, the ship is met several miles out to sea in the Thames-Medway estuary by an escort tug and joined a little later by three other vessels, two of which are often the 70 tons bollard pull ‘compact’ Svitzer Harty and Svitzer Warden. The total bollard pull available for most LNG operations is in the order of 250 tons. Once the ship is safely berthed, a mandatory watch is kept by fire fighting tugs remaining on station to cover possible emergencies and maintain an exclusion zone around the ship until it leaves.

At Milford Haven in South Wales, Svitzer is in the process of assembling what will become the largest, most powerful, and most advanced tug fleet in the world to serve two new LNG terminals and the existing oil installations. The first of six tugs, built to the sophisticated new Robert Allan ‘RAstar’ design are beginning to arrive. Also due to join the new nine tug fleet is a trio of Chinese built tanker handling tugs, know colloquially as the ‘Stretched M’ class. All three have been delayed by labour difficulties in China and the decision to route the new tugs around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the likelihood of interference by pirates. Although the major construction work on the jetties at Milford Haven appear to be nearing completion, at the time of writing there was no firm news on the first LNG shipments into the new facilities.