Bremenports Launches Europe's First LNG-Powered Working Vessel

Bremenports has announced that it has launched a LNG-powered hopper barge in the Netherlands.

Germany's bremenports GmbH & Co. KG (Bremenports) has announced the launch of what it called "presumably the first working vessel at a European seaport to be powered by eco-friendly liquefied natural gas."

The liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered hopper barge will join the company's fleet in the second half of the year, and comes as part of a fleetwide eco-focused modernisation effort.

The hybrid gas-diesel-electric greenports 1, which will carry silt dredged from the harbour basins in Bremerhaven to a disposal facility in Bremen-Seehausen was debuted at a launch event at Shipyard Constructions Hoogezand Nieuwbouw B.V. (SCHN) in Foxhol, Netherlands on March 31. 

"This is a big day for the ports of Bremerhaven and Bremen," said Robert Howe, Technical Managing Director of Bremenports, who also noted the now-familiar benefits associated with LNG propulsion - near elimination of all sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions and particulates, as well as an 85 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

"Both Bremen’s government and bremenports are banking on sustainable port operations which pay due attention to environmental protection. One of the targets of our greenports strategy is to reduce shipping emissions at local level."

Bremenports says the greenports 1 will have two LNG tanks installed on June, each with a six cubic metre (cbm) capacity, with the first LNG bunkering operation expected to be completed at SCHN shortly after installation.

Howe notes that, upon the vessel's entrance into operation, LNG bunkering of the greenports 1 will be conducted via truck-ship supply in either Bremen or Bremerhaven, with Bremenports said to be providing additional training on LNG-powered barges for crews in order to deal with the newbuild vessel.

In August, Wärtsilä Corporation announced that it would be providing dual-fuel engines for what it said would be the world's first dredger to run on both LNG and conventional bunkers.