LNG: a marine fuel for the future

The use of LNG as a marine fuel has taken on added significance as a result of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) stringent requirements concerning emissions from ships. In order to comply with the new limits of emissions, the shipping industry is looking for new, more sustainable fuels and technologies. LNG is considered one of the most economical and realistic solutions, as it offers significant environmental advantages over well-known traditional fuels for ships. Indeed, LNG-powered ships readily comply with the highest emission standards. In recent years, and even months, the transition to LNG in the shipping industry has been increasingly gaining momentum. As a result, more and more LNG fuel systems are needed.

The safe and convenient onboard storage and handling of LNG is a primary concern of Cryonorm as it delivers its range of marine LNG fuel systems. The growing market potential for gas-fuelled vessels is the company’s main motivation to develop and market a standard range of high quality marine LNG fuel systems for seagoing vessels, as well as inland waterway barges.

Marine LNG fuel systems

Cryonorm’s marine LNG fuel system is a complete fuel gas handling system for LNG-fuelled ships. The system includes:

• One or more Type C vacuum-insulated LNG fuel tanks.
• LNG bunker stations.
• A tank connection space (TCS) containing water-heated vaporisers (pressure build up and product vaporisers), LNG and gas processing equipment.
• Control and monitoring systems.
• An intermediate heat system.
• All required double-walled (vacuum-insulated if required) LNG and natural gas pipelines.
• The main LNG/gas processing equipment.

Cryonorm ensures its LNG fuel systems are designed and built in accordance with the latest IGF/IGC, IMO and classification society rules. The main LNG/gas processing equipment, installed inside the TCS, guarantees correct gas temperature, flow and pressure for the engines and other gas consuming components. As an independent supplier, Cryonorm is able to design LNG fuel systems for all engine types.

Bunkering LNG to storage tanks

LNG is bunkered through bunkerstations installed onboard ships. From the bunkerstation, the LNG is transported through special stainless steel cryogenic pipelines, double-walled vacuum or conventionally insulated, to the TCS. The bunkerstation consists of cryogenic breakaway and dry connection couplings, a stainless steel drip tray and local tank pressure/level monitoring. The automatically regulated top-and-bottom tank filling maintains a constant tank pressure during bunkering. The Cryonorm bunkerstation is tailor-made, skid mounted and can be supplied with optional additional bunkerconnections, vapour return connections and a SIGTTO 5-PIN electronic ESD link.

This article is an abridged version from the December 2018 issue of LNG Industry. The complete article can be read here.

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/small-scale-lng/27122018/lng-a-marine-fuel-for-the-future/