MS Viking Grace Reaches 1,000 LNG Bunkerings

Viking Line’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) -powered passenger vessel, built by STX Finland and delivered in January 2013, has truly come of age. The M/S Viking Grace, the first large passenger vessel to run on LNG, has completed 1,000 bunkerings over the last three and a half years in partnership with Swedish company AGA Gas AB.

The M/S Seagas, purpose-built for ship-to-ship refuelling, supplies theViking Grace with about 60 tonnes of LNG while the vessel is docked in the mooring at Stadsgården in central Stockholm. The Seagas is also the first vessel of its kind in the world and is classified according to the same regulations as for ocean-going LNG tankers.

Viking Line’s wish was for bunkering to occur as quickly as possible, with no interruptions, with assured deliveries and without affecting cargo handling on the quay. With its safe LNG bunker solution using the Seagas, AGA could meet Viking Line’s needs. The safety aspect was also extremely important in this context.

Viking Grace and Seagas (Image: Port of Stockholm)

“We are really pleased about having used LNG to fuel the M/S Viking Grace”, says Jan Hanses, President and CEO of Viking Line Abp. “Both the technical solution developed by AGA and the vessel’s operation have outperformed expectations, and it is gratifying to note the major benefits for the workplace along with the environmental gains that running on LNG provides.”

“We are obviously delighted with the positive response we have had from Viking Line regarding the Seagas and our bunkering solution”, says Jonas Åkermark, who is in charge of the LNG marine market at AGA Gas AB. “There is still heavy interest in the Seagas, our ship to-ship bunkering solution and LNG as a marine fuel both in Sweden and internationally. We have a well-functioning infrastructure solution in place in Stockholm and the possibility of bunkering more vessels.

https://www.ngvglobal.com/blog/ms-viking-grace-reaches-1000-lng-bunkerings-0826#more-43249