First DF shuttle tanker delivered

The next-generation 130,000dwt tanker is the first of six E-Shuttle tankers, and achieves a new level of operational and environmental performance. The Aurora Spirit is expected to reduce annual emissions of CO2 equivalents by 50 percent compared with conventional shuttle tankers, which makes the E-Shuttle the most environmentally friendly shuttle ever built.

The 280 metre-long Aurora Spirit is expected to return to Stavanger in March, before entering service.

The vessel also features a Wärtsilä VOC system which recovers and liquifies volatile organic compounds (VOC) that evaporate from the oil cargo tanks during operation. The VOC is then mixed with LNG for use in the vessel’s dual-fuel Wärtsilä 34DF gas engines.

The Motorship notes the environmental savings offered by the system include the elimination of venting of VOCs, which include methane, while the operational benefits of capturing and reusing VOCs are particularly attractive for shuttle tankers whose operational profile leads to significant VOC generation. Some analysts have estimated VOC production during a single shuttle tanker voyage at 100 tons, based on rates of 1kg per tonne of crude oil.

The Wärtsilä VOC system is also been installed aboard two new shuttle tankers for AET Tankers, which feature Wärtsilä’s VOC recovery technology and two-stroke dual-fuel engines.

The vessel’s environmental savings are supplemented by the vessel’s Wärtsilä Hybrid system, with which the power distribution will be based. By using batteries for fuel savings, peak load shaving, and added overall system redundancy, further environmental and operational improvements are achieved.