The growth of ESG has heightened awareness of the less comfortable aspects of tanker operations. In the Scandinavian countries, this has grown to include the noise produced by tankers discharging cargo
Living by the sea has its charms, but for some residents close to ports the noise of hydraulic pumps discharging cargo all through the night can be disturbing. The argument that these residents must have known that moving close to a working port would subject them to the noise of 24-hour operations is no longer acceptable.
The noise of tanker operations is especially noticeable in small ports, such as those found around the Scandinavian coastline. It was with this is mind that Furetank looked to reduce the noise from tanker operations when designing the Vinga-series of vessels in 2018.
The Vinga-series is a new generation of intermediate product/chemical tankers with LNG/LBG propulsion. In the design of the ships, electric cargo pumps from Svanehøj were chosen, as well as low-noise compressors and engine compartment fans. This has drastically reduced the noise level during cargo operations.
Furetank’s own decibel measurements onboard the vessels in the V-series show that sound from cargo operations is reduced by 73-85% compared to vessels of an earlier design. The most striking reduction in sound is found in the areas where cargo pumps are placed.
“Sound from cargo operations is reduced by 73-85% compared to vessels of an earlier design”
The vessels in the Vinga-series are developed in cooperation with FKAB Marine Design and are the first vessels in Furetank’s fleet designed with electric pumps; however, they will not be the last.
According to Furetank’s technical manager Clas Gustafsson, the experience with Svanehøj’s DL-pump system has been very positive. Besides the striking noise reduction, Furetank has registered a 25% reduction in fuel consumption by cargo discharge operations compared to ships in the fleet with other pumps.
Each of the Vinga-series is fitted with 12 Svanehøj DL132/150 cargo pumps (including motors) and two Svanehøj C2G 200L SUB ballast pumps. The electric cargo pumps are individually controlled by 50-60 Hz frequency converters in stepless control of the pump’s rotational speed. This reduces wear and tear on all system components, as well as reducing the generator ratings onboard.
Reducing fuel consumption is a key factor in Furetank’s climate ambitions. Since 2008, the company has reduced the total average CO2 emissions from its owned fleet by around 50%. “We are continuously striving to adopt green solutions for the environment and climate. Going forward, energy efficiency and noise levels will be important factors in our choice of pump solutions,” said Mr Gustafsson.
Svanehøj had been part of Wärtsilä but was sold off in 2018. In September 2021, Svanehøj announced it was acquiring Wärtstilä’s Tank Control Systems division, TCS, which designs, manufactures, sells and services high-end measurement systems for gas tanks on LNG ships, offshore storage and land-based LNG terminals. The acquisition of TCS will make Svanehøj the preferred service provider for almost 500 LNG vessels currently using Wärtsilä TCS systems.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.