LNG

Cryo invests in green marine fuel

Power equipment manufacturer Cryo Shipping is to develop a range of hydrogen infrastructure solutions as it builds on its existing LNG expertise to create “fully renewable marine fuels”. “Hydrogen as marine fuel is in an early phase,” Partner and project manager in Cryo Shipping, Are Magnussen, commented, noting that “we still have a way to go with regards to developing suitable concepts, technical solutions, regulations and operational requirements.” Based in Bergen, Norway, the firm is established as a supplier of Natural Gas and specialist in LNG fuelling infrastructure but has increasingly focused on greener energy sources such as Bio Gas and Hydrogen. “CRYO Shipping is cooperating with major players in the hydrogen industry, and initially serving the bold Norwegian shipowners,” a spokesperson for the firm said.

NCS Finland introduces LNG-fuelled tractor

Finnish transport and logistics company NCS Finland has introduced its first LNG-fuelled Volvo tractor, in partnership with subcontractor Pinecape. “LNG was the natural choice for us since it meets existing and future emissions targets… Our customers are increasingly interested in cutting emissions in transport and require more environmentally friendly alternatives. We want to impact the environment through our own operations and the easiest way to do this is to change the transport fleet,” Jarmo Halonen, COO of NCS Finland, commented. The firm specialises in road transport across Europe and carries more than 30 000 consignments each year. The new LNG-fuelled tractor can complete long-distance transport of up to 1,000 kilometres on a tankful of natural gas, with lower fuel costs than for diesel.

Consortium launches marine fuel DNA tracker

A consortium of developers has completed a successful trial of a blockchain and DNA-based tracking solution that promises to bring ‘more transparency and traceability” to the marine fuels supply chain. A unique tracer was added to 900 cubic meters of ISO 8217:2010 compliant fuel, bunkered on the Boskalis-owned dredger, Prins der Nederlanden. Succesful detection using on-board analysis was completed in ‘less than a minute’ and the test logged simultaneously on a blockchain-based transaction record. “With the product portfolio in the marine energy market becoming increasingly complex and diverse in the near future our focus is on expertise and continuously developing of member protection tools,” Harry Vasse, General Director at Cooperative Bebeka, said. The partnership between BunkerTrace, Cooperative Bebeka, Boskalis and Minerva demonstrated the system in Vlissingen, Netherlands. “It’s unsurprising that owners, insurers and operators are worried about the quality of fuel available as shipping scrambles for available product post-2020 that will see more fragmentation in fuel supplies as more fuel is blended to meet compliance… We’ve had a high level of interest in the product so far, and this is an important step on the way to rolling this out to the market,” Marc Johnson, CEO BunkerTrace, commented.

Vard completes LNG bunker tanker design

Naval architect Vard Marine has finalized a concept desing for a new LNG bunker tanker, to be built by its sister company Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. The proposed vessel will feature 5,400-cubic-metre capacity and is expected to be built by November 2021. The tanker will include four IMO Type C tanks, each with capacity of 1,350 cubic metres. It will also feature cargo handling equipment for continuous cargo conditioning and to provide multiple levels of redundancy to maintain the LNG cargo’s pressure and temperature.