EMEA News
Stena Line Methanol Bunker Conversion to Begin in January, LR to Class
Lloyd's Register (LR) Friday announced that it will class Stena Line's conversion of the RoPax ferry Stena Germanica and that the conversion is set to begin this month.
The conversion will take place over a 45-day period from 28 January 2015 at Poland's Remontawa shipyard.
LR said that preliminary testing had already been conducted on a methanol-modified Wärtsilä engine similar to that installed on the Stena Germanica.
"We carried out three days of tests on a modified engine at Wartsila's R&D laboratory so as to understand the engine performance when running with methanol," said Roberto Constantino for LR.
"While the test engine is a similar type to the four engines on the vessel, it has fewer cylinders.
"So the builders are converting the existing ones on the ship."
The new dual-fuel engine will see emissions of sulfur oxides reduced by 99 percent, while nitrogen oxides will reduce by 60 percent, diesel particulates by 95 percent and carbon dioxide by 25 percent.
"The emissions from methanol are comparable to LNG, but the requirements for handling and infrastructure are much lower," said Stena Line CEO Carl-Johan Hagman.
"The construction team are looking at and will use several different exhaust gas treatment technologies and if the methanol project is a success we will convert more vessels."
Stena Line has said that it may convert a fleet of 40 ferries to methanol bunkers depending on the success achieved with the Stena Germanica conversion.
