EMEA News
LNG Bunker Retrofit Underway for Baleària
Ferry firm Baleària says it has begun LNG bunker retrofit work on Nápoles, the first of six vessels it intends to convert to burn the alternative bunkers.
The work is taking place in Gibraltar and will include the installation of a 440 cbm LNG fuel tank and the upgrading of the main engines to be dual-fuel capable.
The retrofit is expected to be completed by February 15, 2019 at a cost of 12 million euros, 20% of which is funded by European Union CEF (Connecting Europe Facility).
Completed retrofits for the other vessels are expected by the end of 2021.
With the GHG performance of LNG a subject of growing debate, Baleària pegs the conversion will lower the vessel's CO2 emissions by 30%, along with a drop of 35% in the emission of NOx and the complete elimination of SOx and particle matter.
While interest in using LNG bunkers has grown, with this year having been hailed as a "tipping year" for the alternative fuel, the complexity of LNG retrofits has left most projects focused on new builds.
