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Hartmann Reederei to launch ethane fuelled LEG carrier

LNG Industry,


Hartmann Reederei, in cooperation with engineering consultants HB Hunte Engineering, has developed a unique eco-friendly vessel, fuelled by ethane gas.

The new vessel, the ethylene carrier ECO STAR 36K, has a Svelte-bow design, and differs from conventional gas carriers in the following ways:

  • As the first of its kind, its superstructures will be located at the bow, resulting in optimised distribution of weight and, therefore, a reduced demand for ballast water.
  • This in turn leads to reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

The new Svelte bow design enables the vessel to improve seakeeping at higher transit speed and improved fuel efficiency.

Dual-fuel engines

The ships will be fitted with the latest generation of MAN B&W dual-fuel 2-stroke engine on diesel combustion principle. This type of engine is characterised by its high reliability and low fuel consumption; its low emissions meet the requirements of IMO Tier II.

ECO STAR 36K will be able to operate on HFO, MDO and gas oil, as well as LNG and ethane gas. Furthermore, it can use the boil-off gas from its cargo. The vessel’s autonomous gas fuel tanks are constructed for ethane and LNG, and enable an operating range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles.

The propulsion efficiency will be further improved by adopting a MAN Kappel propeller with rudder bulb system and a Twist-flow Rudder developed by HB Hunte Engineering. Ship model tests at ‘Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt’ (HSVA) resulted in reduced energy loss and improved propulsion efficiency.

Cargo tanks

Compared to conventional gas carrier with cylindrical or bilobe tanks, ECO STAR 36K adopts a new tank design developed by Hartmann Reederei, the ‘Star-Trilobe’ tank. This design consists of three cylinders combined into one, resulting in more efficient space utilisation. In turn, this allows an increased cargo capacity by approximately 30% at the same ship dimensions, leading to reduced shipping costs through higher economies of scale.

The new vessels offer a cargo capacity of 36,000 m3 each, for liquefied gas cargoes up to a temperature of -104 degrees Celsius. The ships are currently the largest LEG-carriers in the world.

Vessels ordered

In cooperation with the Norwegian ship company Ocean Yield, three of these vessels have already been ordered at the Chinese shipyard Sinopacific. The vessels are scheduled for delivery from the second half of 2016.

Hartmann Group company, GasChem Services, has secured a long-term agreement for the three vessels, with Saudi Arabian petrochemical company, SABIC. The latter recently announced an upgrade to enable the use of ethane from the US as feedstock in their cracker in Teesside, UK.

The Hartmann Group will conduct full vessel management for the ethane shipments, ensuring regular deliveries to SABIC’s Teesside cracker.


Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/20082014/world-first-ethane-fuelled-gas-carrier-1250/

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