A contract between parent company of Eesti Gaas (Estonia’s energy company), and Damen Shipyards Group was signed to build the first of a series of short-sea LNG bunker vessels to operate in the Baltic.
The LGC 6000 LNG class vessel, scheduled for delivery in September, 2020, will accelerate the wider adoption of LNG as a cleaner alternative fuel in the Northeast Baltic by providing a ship-to-ship distribution service for the first time, the companes claimed.
The 100 m vessel will be built at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China and will carry 6,000 cu m of LNG in two type-C tanks.
Currently, Eesti Gaas is bunkering the LNG-fuelled ropax ‘Megastar’ by truck in Tallinn, with 11 required for a single operation. The LGC 6000 LNG will be able to refuel the ferry in a single, efficient and much faster procedure, while she is alongside her regular berth, loading and unloading passengers and vehicles.
The LGC 6000 LNG will be built to ICE class 1A and to achieve a green ship notation. A dual fuel propulsion system will be used for boil-off gas (BOG) management in combination with a gas burner.
Eesti Gaas will operate the vessel under a long-term charter from its parent company Infortar, which will be the owner of the vessel.
“This new vessel will help us to move significantly closer towards a clean and pollution-free Baltic Sea,” said Ain Hanschmidt, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Gaas. “With the introduction of the first LGC 6000 LNG scheduled for 2020, vessel operators in the region can now consider adopting LNG propulsion systems in their new and existing vessels, confident that they can access fast and efficient bunkering services. We look forward to it serving an increasing number of vessels using LNG as a marine fuel and thus reducing significantly their CO2, NOx, SOx and particulate matter emissions.”
“We at Damen Shipyards are honoured with the faith that Eesti Gaas has put in our company by purchasing this LNG bunkering vessel built at our shipyard,” added Peter Anssems, Damen’s Sales Manager for East Europe.“This will be the first LNG bunkering vessel built by Damen Shipyards Gorinchem.”
