Denmark’s First LNG Bunkering Facility Ready for Fjord Line
Denmark’s first tank facility for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) marine fuel is now ready for use in Hirtshals, a town at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. This allows Norwegian ferry operator Fjord Line to refuel its two green cruise ferries in Denmark, and is available for use by other gas-powered ships. The new facility is another step in Fjord Line’s Green Strategy, adopted five years ago, which saw the company invest in MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord, launched in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Opening of the new LNG facility allows for the potential of the green strategy to be seriously exploited according to Fjord Line, which see new new business opportunities: “With the LNG facility in Hirtshals, we can refuel the new cruise ferries in Norway and in Denmark. This ensures that we can optimize operations, while we also have the opportunity to use the facility on a commercial basis. The plan is to offer LNG to other operators of gas-fueled ships,” says Morten Larsen, Managing and Technical Director of Fjord Line Denmark.
Fjord Line’s green strategy must be seen in light of the IMO and EU sulfur directive for shipping, which entered into force on 1 January 2015 and which emphasizes environmental requirements for ships using ordinary fuel oil. The regulations force future shipping to think green, and it will probably get more ships to convert to LNG, which is significantly cleaner than conventional fuel oil as LNG does not emit any sulfur and particulate matter.
Likewise, Anker Laden-Andersen, chairman of the Port of Hirtshals, sees it as a great potential for the port. “This LNG facility is the first in Denmark, and will strengthen Hirtshals position as a leading port in environmentally friendly shipping. The port is strategically located in relation to trafficked shipping lanes, so Hirtshals has a great chance to become the natural port of call for future LNG-driven ships. The ships can access tanks at the facility during approximately 22 hours a day, when Fjord Line’s cruise ferries do not use the berth, and it will make Hirtshals more attractive,” says Anker Laden-Andersen.
The new refueling facility has a capacity of 500 m³ of LNG and will complement Skangass’ refueling facility in Risavika. The LNG-powered ferries reduces emissions of NOx by 92 percent compared to emissions from ship engines operating on conventional fuel oil’ at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 22 percent.
The LNG facility is designed and constructed by the Norwegian company Liquiline LNG, also understood project management. The plant, which comes with Liquiline LNG’s proprietary monitoring system LiquiSys®, established by Fjord Line, Hirtshals LNG and Liquiline LNG in cooperation with Hirtshals.
https://www.ngvglobal.com/blog/denmarks-first-lng-bunkering-facility-ready-for-fjord-line-0703
