First SNG-run vessel on its way
The 2017-retrofitted ‘Wes Amelie’, a 1,036-teu feeder container ship operated by Unifeeder, will become the first vessel in shipping to run on synthetic natural gas (SNG) generated by wind energy. MAN Energy Services, Wessels Marine, Unifeeder and Nauticor are cooperating on the SNG project, which will see ‘Wes Amelie’ use liquefied SNG produced from renewable electrical energy as a drop-in fuel.
To demonstrate that SNG can successfully be used as a marine fuel, 20 of the 120 t of LNG that ‘Wes Amelie’ typically uses per round trip will be replaced by climate-neutral SNG. As a result, CO2 emissions are expected to decline by 56 t for this trip.
Automobile manufacturer Audi’s power-to-gas facility in Werlte (Lower Saxony, Germany), where a liquefaction plant is currently under construction, will provide the SNG, which will be generated by wind energy and is thus 100% climate-neutral.
The SNG supply will take place after the completion of the liquefaction plant in Q2/2020. Engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions reports that the retrofit enabled the ‘Wes Amelie’ to reduce its SOx emissions by >99%, NOx by approximately 90% and CO2 by up to 20%. As a result, the vessel now meets both Tier II and Tier III emission requirements set by the international maritime organisation (IMO). (fd)