New LNG Bunkering Station Allows Passengers on Board
Skangass will build a bunker station for LNG in Risavika, close to Stavanger in Norway. DSB (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection) has approved the plans for a bunker station dedicated for Fjord Line’s cruise ferries. For the first time in Norway, ferries have the opportunity to bunker LNG while having passengers on board.
Skangass has received an approval for establishing a permanent bunkering solution for Fjord Line’s ferries, says Managing Director in Skangass Tor Morten Osmundsen. – We are pleased with DSB supporting our opinion that bunkering with passengers on board can be done in a safe manner.
The project is well on the way and Skangass is aiming towards a start-up during Summer 2014. Skangass has designed the bunker solution with the target to minimize the receiving vessels turnaround time in port as much as possible. High capacity and efficiency when bunkering is an essential condition for LNG being a preferred solution for the marine marked. Bunkering while having passengers on board will reduce the turnaround time for ferries running on LNG
To make LNG available in a larger scale than today the infrastructure for bunkering needs to be developed. EU is planning to contribute to develop 139 ports with LNG bunker stations in Europe before the year 2025. The bunker solution for LNG in Risavika in Norway thereby makes an important contribution for vessels trading along the Norwegian coast to comply with the environmental regulation. At the same time the marine market requires efficiency. Access to bunker stations is a prerequisite for operators evaluating to convert their vessels from diesel to natural gas, a much more environmental friendly fuel.
The news coincides with the delivery of Fjord Line’s new MS Bergensfjord, the second of two eco-friendly cruise ferries built for the Norwegian shipping line by the Bergen Group Fosen shipyard in Rissa, Norway. Fjord Lines’ two new and identical cruise ferries are both equipped with engines powered by LNG.
The new ships, which are 170 meters long, are perfectly designed to handle North Sea waves and provide passengers with a smooth and stable voyage. Each ship has space for 1,500 passengers, with 306 cabins and a vehicle deck for up to 600 cars, trucks and cargo.
“This marks the beginning of a new era in ferry traffic between Norway and the EU that will be of great importance to both the tourism and business sectors. The sale of tickets for the summer months already looks extremely promising in Norway and continental Europe,” says Fjord Line CEO Ingvald Fardal.