LNG

May 15 (LNGJ) - The Damen Ship Repair yard in the French Channel port of Dunkirk has begun the conversion of the dredger “Samuel de Champlain” from diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining LNG and marine gasoil. A new section of hull will be installed to hold the generators and other equipment. The “Samuel de Champlain” was built in 2002. It is based in the Grand Maritime Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire and operates in the Loire and Seine estuaries. The conversion is part of a European Commission-backed initiative with grants available to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.