LNG

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, has increased its annual list of patent applications made to the Patent and Trademark Office in France, l’Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle.

The GTT group said it filed a total of 64 patents in 2023, an increase compared with 2022, thus maintaining its position as a technological leader in the category of intermediate-sized enterprises (ETIs) in France.

With 61 patents filed with the INPI, GTT said it secured the second position in the 2023 INPI ranking of patent-filing ETIs.

GTT also filed three more patents with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2023.

Broadening technology

The group’s order book has designs for GTT storage and conventional carriers and containment tanks for LNG-powered vessels.

GTT’s earnings come from its technology licensing, hence the importance of the patents pipeline.

“Over the past decade, GTT's technological solutions have played a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from LNG carriers and optimizing the energy performance of its ship-owner clients,” explained the Paris-based company.

GTT’s core business has been centred around designs for tanks such as the Mark III membrane containment system.

However, GTT said it was now implementing an “ambitious innovation roadmap” in its adjacent markets and in its digital activities, as well as in the field of “zero-carbon” solutions at the subsidiary Elogen.

“With 61 patents filed with INPI and three patents filed with the European Patent Office, 2023 confirms the group's position of excellence in innovation and R&D and underlines GTT's technological stance,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to Soitec for claiming the top spot in 2023 with 62 patents filed in France, and I am pleased to witness the dynamic technological innovation among French mid-sized companies,” stated Berterottière.

He was referring to France's Soitec SA, a company that is involved in the microelectronics industry, designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials.

It was also previously well known for licensing the patents for organisations such as French Atomic Energy Commission.

SEA-LNG, the coalition established to demonstrate the commercial and environmental benefits of LNG and the pathway it provides for cleaner shipping, has signed up Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases (Nikkiso CEIG) is the latest member company.

Nikkiso supplies equipment, technologies and engineering services to support the safe operation of LNG as a marine fuel.

“SEA-LNG’s membership will open up networking and collaboration opportunities for Nikkiso to support its work on cryogenic pumps and process systems as well as broader cryogenic services,” said a statement.

The group also works on heat exchanger systems and Nikkiso Turboexpander systems and has experience in boil-off-gas management for LNG fuelled vessels, methane slip mitigation, and integrated LNG fuel gas supply systems.

Wide options 

Peter Keller, Chairman of SEA-LNG, said that to achieve its cleaner shipping targets the industry would require a basket of fuels and technology options.

“Collaboration across the entire LNG value chain, with companies like Nikkiso, ensures that LNG will have a place as a key part of that basket,” added Keller.

“As an important marine fuel, LNG can deliver on decarbonisation now with immediate greenhouse-gas emissions reductions and that provides a low risk, incremental pathway for decarbonisation through bio-LNG and renewable synthetic e-LNG,” he stated in looking well into the future.

Peter Wagner, Chief Executive of the Nikkiso CEIG, said the the group aimed to encourage the shipping industry to swiftly adopt LNG as a marine fuel, because it provides a readily and immediately available low-carbon clean energy.

“The fuel also has the physical properties to facilitate a more efficient ship construction integration compared to alternative fuels,” added Wagner.

“This enables the maritime industry to lower emissions by a further 20 percent on the basis of clean energy and efficient ship designs,” he said.

Gradual process

Steve Esau, Chief Operating Officer of SEA-LNG, concluded that the carbon-neutral fuel solutions would not arrive in a “big-bang” process and instead there would be incremental decarbonisation of existing assets as fuel production, transportation, storage and bunkering infrastructure and engine technologies develop.

“We are excited to welcome another new member whose innovative technology and engineering expertise supports the cost-effective operation of LNG as a marine fuel today,” stated Esau.

SEA-LNG is a UK-registered not-for-profit collaborative industry foundation serving the needs of its member organisations and is committed to furthering the use of LNG as an important, environmentally superior maritime fuel.

It has members across the entire LNG value chain including providers of the product, users, engine and asset suppliers and class societies.

Bureau Veritas, the French maritime classification society, has taken delivery into its class portfolio of the LNG-powered newbuild cruise ferry “Salamanca” constructed for France’s Brittany Ferries in the Chinese Jinling shipyard.

The LNG-fuelled vessel will be able to carry more than 1,000m passengers and be operated by Brittany Ferries on its route between Portsmouth in the UK and the port os Bilbao and Santander in Northern Spain.

The “Salamanca” is the second “E-Flexer” class ferry to enter service with Brittany Ferries as part of its commitment to introduce cleaner and more efficient ships to its fleet in the next five years.

After its sister ship, “Galicia”, joined the fleet in December 2020, “Salamanca” will enter service in March 2022 and will be the first to be fuelled by LNG.

Brittany Ferries started life in 1972 as a freight-only service sailing from Roscoff in Brittany to Plymouth in the South of England with fresh vegetables such as cargoes of artichokes and cauliflowers to please the British palate.

Since then the company developed its “Atlantic Arc” ferry business linking France, the UK, Spain and Ireland.

Analysts noted that it has been a great success in reducing motorway traffic from tourists from the UK who can cut out France in travelling south to Spain and Portugal.

Brittany Ferries said that with a length of 214.5 metres, the “Salamanca” was designed with efficiency and the environment in mind.

The vessel is equipped with twin 12V46DF (dual-fuelled) engines from Finland's Wärtsilä.

The ferry will be supplied with LNG in the ports of Bilbao and Santander, enabling round trips between Spain and Portsmouth.

More LNG vessels

Brittany Ferries plans to deploy three more LNG-fuelled vessels in the coming years with the “Santoña” joining the fleet in 2023 on the The company added that the Portsmouth-Santander-Bilbao route, and two hybrid LNG-electric ships will enter service between France and the UK in time for the 2025 season.

“Renewing our fleet stands as one of the pillars of Brittany Ferries’ recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Arnaud Le Poulichet, Technical Director at Brittany Ferries.

“It goes hand-in-hand with sustainability, and will see the introduction of a range of cleaner vessels that will enable us to reduce our environmental footprint and deliver on our sustainability targets,” stated Le Poulichet.

Bruno Dabouis, Vice President Southern Europe, North Africa and North America at Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore said BV has been involved in LNG propulsion and bunkering from the very start.

“We are proud to partner with Brittany Ferries as an environmental frontrunner, and we are looking forward to supporting ‘Salamanca’ and its operational life on the route across the Bay of Biscay from the UK to Spain, the longest Brittany Ferries route,” added Dabouis.

China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) said the world’s first LNG-powered very large crude carrier, the “Yuan Rui Yang”, would soon be ready to hand over to Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation after completing its gas trials following successful sea trials and LNG bunkering during the fourth quarter.

Høglund Marine, the Norwegian company specializing in both retrofit and newbuild projects, has signed a contract to supply an advanced LNG Fuel Gas Supply System for three German ships owned by the German Federal Government to be deployed in hazardous roles.

The customised Fuel Gas Supply Systems (FGSS) have been developed to allow the LNG-fuelled vessels to take on hazardous roles such as pollution control, emergency towing and firefighting.

Høglund, based in Tønsberg in southeast Norway, signed the agreements with the Abeking and Rasmussen (A&R) shipyard for three multipurpose vessels ordered by the German government’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration.

The design and construction of the three vessels is being supervised by the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute.

To meet the advanced specifications for the LNG system that ensures safe operation in hazardous atmospheres, Høglund will be collaborating with HB Hunte Engineering, headquartered in Oldenburg in the northern German state of Lower Saxony.

“This project makes A&R the only shipyard worldwide offering LNG-fuelled vessels that are qualified to operate in hazardous atmospheres,” said Høglund.

These 90-metre-plus vessels will be equipped with engines generating up to 12,000kW and 145 tonnes of bollard pull, and will have a top speed greater than 15 knots.

The three vessels will also be exclusively LNG-powered. Although suitable for worldwide operation, they will be deployed within the German coastline where they will carry out works on sea marks, pollution control and utilising hydroacoustic equipment as well as in pollution control, emergency towing and firefighting.

Høglund explained that given the intended versatility and multiple roles of the vessels and the hazardous atmospheres they will operate in there are obvious additional safety requirements.

“Consequently, the yard alongside their federal supervisor and owner are placing extra consideration on the design of the LNG system,” said the Norwegian company.

To meet these specifications, A&R, Høglund and HB Hunte Engineering have collaborated to develop a dedicated gas safety concept.

“With Høglund taking responsibility for the overall FGSS product delivery, HB Hunte will contribute a unique LNG tank design, pipe engineering and integration of the LNG system into the wider vessel architecture,” said Høglund.

“Combining skills and expertise in this way is key to supporting the greater safety measures required for special vessels of this type,” it added.

Høglund said that equipping an LNG-fuelled vessel to conduct waterborne firefighting, pollution control and emergency response missions is a particular challenge, as safety must be guaranteed.

The design of the new vessels will meet the requirements of UK maritime classification society, Lloyds Register, and satisfy the strict rules for gas and low flashpoint fuels (IGF Code) aggravated by operation in hazardous atmosphere (gas protection operation).

“With increased uptake of LNG as an alternative fuel, it is important that systems such as the FGSS and dedicated automation are in place to support its safe and effective use,” said Peter Morsbach, a Vice President at Høglund.

“We must take into account complex safety concerns stemming from impacts on the operational profile and atmosphere,” he added.

“In this case here, the focus lies on the system’s safety concept and related design measures in terms of the tank connection spaces, gas treatment rooms, ventilation and monitoring,” stated Morsbach.

Jan 15 (LNGJ) - French LNG storage tank technology company GTT has obtained approval in principle from France-based classification society Bureau Veritas for GTT’s No. 96 membrane containment system for LNG fuel tank applications for Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) . “GTT and BV reviewed the compatibility and safe integration of the No. 96 technology as an LNG fuel tank in a container vessel hull,” said GTT.

   Over the course of the study, a liquid motion assessment of the tank configuration was performed. “We are pleased to receive this new Approval in Principle which allows GTT to offer increasingly competitive solutions that meet the requirements of the LNG market as a marine fuel. This will enable all our licensees to offer membrane solutions to this market,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.

Oct 6 (LNGJ) - STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., the South Korean yard specialising in mid-sized ships and which is still suffering financial problems because of a lack of orders, said it completed the design of a 7,500 cubic metres capacity liquefied natural gas bunkering ship.

   “The design project was in cooperation with the government-funded Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering,” said STX. The Korean company in 2017 delivered Royal Dutch Shell’s first LNG bunkering vessel, the 6,500 cubic metres capacity “Cardissa”.

The LNG Marine Fuel Institute formed in Australia to help improve access to bunkering has praised the first move by the Pilbara Port Authority in Western Australia to issue a ship-to-ship LNG bunkering licences to plant operator Woodside.

LNG MFI Chief Executive Margot Matthews said Pilbara Port and Woodside had executed non-exclusive licences to provide ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services at the ports of Port Hedland and Dampier, the first licences of their type issued in Australia.

“Since 2017 LNG MFI has worked to bring together key players to develop a cleaner marine fuel industry in Australia as we lower emissions for a better future and it’s exciting to see this now moving full steam ahead,” Matthews explained.

LNG MFI is an independent not for profit organisation established to enable LNG, the cleanest alternative available, to be a primary fuel for marine transportation.

The body is also supporting the plans by commodities giant BHP to use LNG as fuel for future iron ore carriers on the Australia-Asia trade route.

LNG MFI’s position is that Australia can meet and exceed the new International Maritime Organization 2020 regulations by establishing early adoption of LNG as a transition marine fuel and providing the Australasian maritime industry with a superior and cost effective fuel source

Pilbara Ports Authority’s General Manager Development & Trade, Lyle Banks, said the Authority has issued three licences for LNG bunkering operations in the Pilbara.

“In addition to Woodside’s ship-to-ship licences, a truck-to-ship LNG bunkering licence was issued to Evol LNG in early 2017,” added Banks.

“Western Australia is well-placed to become an LNG bunkering hub, with LNG production facilities close to large iron ore mining operations and the many hundreds of ocean-going vessels that use ports in the Pilbara region,” stated banks.

Woodside Executive Vice President Marketing for Trading and Shipping, Reinhardt Matisons, described working with Pilbara Ports Authority to finalise LNG bunkering licences “as a key step in developing an LNG fuels industry” in Western Australia.

“Woodside is finalising plans for an LNG bunkering operation in the Pilbara to capture the significant environmental and economic benefits of using LNG, instead of fuel oil, for the busy iron ore shipping trade,” added Matisons.

“We continue to work with potential customers on this opportunity,” he said.

LNG MFI’s CEO Matthews expects Australia to play a leading regional role in LNG fuel.

“While there’s no single pathway to a low emissions future, expanding the use of LNG as a transition marine fuel is one way to help reduce greenhouse gases from shipping and help reduce this country’s environmental footprint,” said Matthews. 

The Nordic LNG supplier, Gasum of Finland, posted a decline in annual revenues as its strategy moved the company forward in providing LNG for shipping and vehicles while withdrawing from the gas transmission business.

Gasum’s revenue was down 4.2 percent year on year, totaling 1.27 billion euros ($1.37Bln) versus 1.17Bln euros in 2018.

The company’s operating profit totaled 141.4M euros, up 13.9 percent year on year from 124.2M euros.

“We took purposeful steps to advance our strategy and developed the Nordic gas market, enabling an even broader offering of low-emission energy solutions in response to growing demand among industrial as well as road and maritime transport customers,” said Chief Executive Johanna Lamminen.

“The decline in revenue was caused primarily by the development in the sales price of gas,” stated the CEO.

She noted that at the turn of the year, the Finnish pipeline gas market was opened up to competition and the unbundling of Gasum’s transmission business was completed as a new company, Gasgrid Finland Oy, commenced its operations.

“Gasum has prepared for the opening up of the gas market and the broadening competition by developing products and services,” said added.

“Our company has decades of expertise in gas and in the provision of comprehensive energy solutions and energy market services,” said the CEO.

“Another important step in the development of the Nordic gas market was taken by us when we signed the deal on the acquisition AGA’s clean energy business and Nauticor’s marine bunkering business from Linde AG,” explained Lamminen.

“The transaction promotes our strategy by further expanding our supply of energy solutions for industrial as well as road and maritime transport needs,” she said.

“It also speeds up the implementation of Gasum’s growth strategy focusing on cleaner transport solutions in the Nordic countries,” added Lamminen.

Gasum continues to build its LNG bunkering business and carried out its 200 ship-to-ship operation in January 2020 as maritime use of the fuel gathers pace in northwest Europe.

The refueling  was carried out by the 5,800 cubic metres of capacity bunkering vessel “Coralius”, a supplier of LNG fuel in the North Sea and the Skagerrak areas since 2017.

The receiving vessel was the Fjord Line’s LNG-powered ferry “Stavangerfjord” as the ship underwent scheduled maintenance at the Fayard shipyard in Odense in Denmark.

Gasum also supplied its first cruise liner with LNG in November 2019 at the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard in the port of Turku.

Fully owned by the state of Finland, Gasum has LNG import assets in Finland and Sweden and LNG liquefaction as well as marine bunkering services through its former Skangas business, now integrated and operating  under the Gasum banner.

The company’s strategy includes an expansion to provide 50 LNG fuel stations by the early 2020s for Nordic transportation companies in Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Gasum is the largest LNG infrastructure owner in the Nordic countries as well as leader in promoting LNG as a fuel for the maritime sector and for vehicles and industry.

It has its liquefaction plant in Risavika in addition to owning and operating regasification and import terminals in Ora in Norway, Lysekil in Sweden and Pori in Finland.

Gasum is also a shareholder in Finland’s second LNG import terminal in Tornio.

Gasum, the Finnish natural gas company, said its liquefied natural gas bunkering vessel “Coralius”, has conducted its first fuel operation in the port and refining area of Rotterdam, one of the most important logistics hubs in Europe.

Gasum said the 5,800 cubic metres capacity ship-to-ship bunkering vessel has now proved her worth in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) area.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) was supplied to the vessel “Bit Viking”.

“Finally, being able to bunker our clients in the ARA area, increases LNG availability and security for the LNG fueled fleet,” said Kimmo Rahkamo, Vice President of natural gas and LNG at Gasum.

“The amount of LNG driven vessels is growing rapidly globally, and we will definitely be part of the growth in being present where LNG is needed,” he added.

The “Coralius” has her main operation area in the North Sea and the Skagerrak area.

The Skangas LNG business is now fully under the Gasum banner and during the quarter of 2019 the bunkering vessel “Coralius” performed its 100th ship-to-ship fuel operation.

The “Coralius” delivers LNG through ship-to-ship bunkering at sea and in port.

Gasum said this has significantly increased Gasum’s flexibility and responsiveness to vessels that require LNG but are unable to visit a terminal or a port.

“We are happy with this opportunity to get LNG by ship-to-ship bunkering also in the Port of Rotterdam,” said Anders Hermansson, Technical Manager of Tarbit Shipping.

“Our vessel ‘Bit Viking’ converted to LNG already in 2011. Since then we have operated on LNG about 97 percent of the time, mainly supported by Gasum,” he added.