China Offshore Oil Corp Takes Delivery of Asia's First LNG Only Powered Tug

Hai Yang Shi You 525 has undergone a successful sea trial.

Hai Yang Shi You 525, Asia's first tugboat designed to run exclusively on liquefied natural gas (LNG), has been delivered to owner China Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Rolls-Royce has announced.

Rolls-Royce provided the power package for the vessel, which consists of twin Roll-Royce Bergen C26:33L9PG engines, said to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions by 25 and 90 percent respectively, and two Rolls-Royce US 205 CP azimuth thrusters.

This combination of propulsion ensures that Hai Yang Shi You 525, which has undergone a successful sea trial, will have rapid manoeuvring and strong bollard pull capabilities.

"We are proud to be powering Asia's first gas-powered tug so shortly after delivering Borgøy, the world's first LNG-powered tug, to Norwegian owner Buksèr og Berging," said Richard Wang, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Commercial Marine.

"This order marks a new era for tugboat propulsion technology in China. As its shipbuilding industry shifts focus from standard designs to more sophisticated tonnage, more owners and operators will see the benefit of using cleaner, more efficient fuelling solutions for their vessels."

John Knudsen, president - Commercial Marine for Rolls-Royce, noted that China "is one of the world's largest importers of natural gas and already has the LNG infrastructure in place.

"This is a pioneering project in Asia, and its success has been dependent on the excellent cooperation between CNOOC, Shanghai Bestway Engineering, Zhenjiang Shipyard and Rolls-Royce."

CNOOC, which is regarded as the state-owned leader in the nation's LNG importing business, last year announced construction of a new 6.7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) LNG terminal in Fujian.