Burckhardt Compression, the Swiss LNG-equipment maker, is providing a comprehensive overhaul service for fleet owner Teekay LNG as part of a long-term service agreement between the two companies.
Teekay LNG has interests in 47 LNG carriers, 23 mid-size liquefied petroleum gas carriers and seven multi-gas carriers.
Part of Teekay’s LNG fleet is equipped with dual-fuel propulsion systems that use boil-off gas (BOG) for fuel to deliver cargoes around the world.
Each of these vessels is equipped with a Burckhardt-supplied Laby®-GI BOG compressor that supplies fuel to the main and auxiliary engines as well as the reliquefaction system and the gas combustion unit.
“After five years in operation, the compressor on the ‘Creole Spirit’ was due for a scheduled maintenance inspection during dry-dock in Singapore,” explained Burckhardt.
“Dry-dock maintenance projects are planned years in advance. With hundreds of specialist technicians and engineers working for dozens of suppliers, precision coordination by all those involved is essential,” added the company, based in Winterthur, northern Switzerland.
“The resources involved and the scale of these projects mean that everyone has to deliver their part perfectly for the on-time completion of the whole scheme,” said Burckhardt.
Burckhardt said its team planned and coordinated the numerous groups of contractors working on the compressor skid in the confines of the compressor machinery room to ensure optimum working safety and efficiency.
As the only BOG compressor on board, it is a crucial piece of equipment and the maintenance project was essential for continued availability.
“Thanks to more than a year’s planning, the service ran with Swiss precision and was completed within the 13 days allotted, ensuring the complete dry-dock program was also accomplished on time and without any safety incidents,” stated Burckhardt.
Preparations included tailor-made packing cases for all the parts that were shipped to the Singapore Service Center to ensure safe transportation.
Burckhardt’s on-site engineers were also able to quickly provide a solution to additional components of the control system that needed to be replaced.
With such a successful project, Teekay LNG has said that it appreciated the benefits of the partnership with Burckhardt, which adds considerable value to their operation.
“The fleet of LNG vessels equipped with the Laby®-GI BOG compressor will continue to deliver reliable service and contribute to reduced sulfur and CO2 levels,” added Burckhardt.
