DEME’s next-generation dual-fuel installation vessel Orion was refuelled in the Port of Rostock, the first such ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in the port and only the second to take place in Germany
The ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation was performed by 7,500-m3 LNG bunker vessel Kairos, operated by Hamburg-based LNG supplier Nauticor, a unit of The Linde Group.
A newbuild vessel destined to support offshore wind, decommissioning and marine construction projects, Orion was in the Port of Rostock for the installation of a new 5,000-tonne main crane at the Liebherr construction yard.
Operating on LNG is nothing new for DEME, a leader in dredging, marine engineering and environmental remediation. Besides Orion, the Belgian vessel owner operates three dual-fuel trailing suction hopper dredgers and one dual-fuel cable laying vessel added under a recent multi-year fleet investment programme.
“Our recent fleet additions are unique in their market segments as the first vessels in our industry to run on LNG,” said DEME technical department head Bart Verbooment. “We want to make sure our fleet is future-proof and exceeds the current environmental regulations.”
Mr Verbooment added that because its new vessels were equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of operating on LNG, “many of them are also prepared for the new, carbon-neutral fuels of the future and we will continue to scale up our actions to have the most energy-efficient fleet in the industry.”
Nauticor senior manager sales and business development Jan Schubert said “After conducting the first ship-to-ship LNG transfer in Germany only a few weeks ago in Brunsbüttel for DEME’s Scheldt River, we are happy to also extend our co-operation for the latest vessel joining the DEME fleet, Orion. Securing the availability of LNG in another important port in northwest Europe reduces the hurdles for companies to decide in favour of alternative fuels.”
While the Port of Rostock has performed LNG bunkering via tanker truck for several years, Rostock Port managing director Jens A Scharner noted that this first STS LNG bunkering was a milestone for the port. “This operation strengthens the LNG cluster in Rostock significantly and is an essential extension of the services offered by the port,” said Mr Scharner. “Environmentally friendly fuels such as LNG, and a shipping industry driven by sustainability will shape our port in the long-run,” he added.
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