Damien F?ger Launches NG3, "New Generation, Natural Gas, Natural Growth"

Photo: Damien Féger and PLUG, Onboard Color MAGIC in Oslo

This new company is dedicated to the development of innovative solutions to improve the shipping and harbor industries' energy efficiency and environmental footprint.

NG3's first activities will focus on the exploitation of the “PLUG” shore connection and argon tank insulation technologies previously developed at NG2 under an exclusive license agreement.

The new company is set in Vernon, Normandy.

PLUG is based on a unique concept of self-mating/de-mating a connector. PLUG makes shore power connections a press-button operation, bringing superior advantages in terms of:

-  speed of operation (and hence reduction of onboard generator sets use),
- safety : no direct handling of high voltage connector and cables,
-  compactness (no impact on ship side payload volume, negligible quayside footprint),
- Capital and Operational Expenses: simplified installation, no manpower required
- Versatility : a single PLUG Unit can provide up to 11 000 Volts / 700 Amps power exchange capability
- Standardization : PLUG meets or exceed  IEC High Voltage Shore Power functional requirements

Compared to state of the art solutions based on manual connectors, PLUG's game changing solution offers, typically:

- 20 % more  time connected to the shore power infrastructure
- 1000 times less manpower
- 1000 times less risks
- 50 times less maintenance
- 3 to 4  times less capital and operational expenses
- 4 to 10  times less on board volume..

The first two PLUG units were installed in April 2011 and May 2012 on the ROPAX Color Magic and Color Fantasy and are connected on a routine basis in Oslo every day, saving the equivalent CO2 emissions of 1700 cars.

Related: PLUG into NG2 Shore Power

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NG3TANK-M is an innovative solution to increase the thermal insulation of membrane LNG carriers by filling the cargo tank insulation spaces by argon gas instead of nitrogen. Expected savings on a typical 170,000 m3 LNG carrier is typically 1000 tons of LNG per year.