MARAD to invest US$1.4m in LNG projects
MARAD says that the projects will collect information on use of LNG for marine propulsion ,and study the issues and challenges associated with shore side storage and fuelling of LNG vessels.
Through a partnership agreement, MARAD will provide ship operator Horizon Lines with US$900,000 to assist in conversion and monitoring of its container ship Horizon Spirit to operate on LNG. Measuring the efficiency and air emissions of its new LNG engines will provide valuable data as the US maritime industry looks to greener and more cost effective options. The ship operates between Long Beach, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii. The conversion is anticipated to be completed by late-2015.
The second project is a US$500,000 MARAD funded LNG study conducted by DNV’s US subsidiary to analyse the issues and challenges associated with LNG bunkering, and the landside infrastructure needed to store and distribute LNG. It is anticipated this study will be complete by spring 2014.
The two recipients were chosen in a competitive process to partner with MARAD as part of a new programme to demonstrate innovative technologies and practices and share data on the results.
“Fuel-efficient ships appeal to the maritime industry for the exact same reasons that fuel-efficient cars appeal to consumers – they’re easy on the environment and their pocketbooks,” said US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx. “The Obama Administration is committed to protecting our environment and reducing pollution, and the information we’ll gather from these projects will help us strengthen America’s clean energy economy.”
“The maritime industry is taking important steps to reduce vessel air emissions,” said acting maritime administrator Paul N. Jaenichen. “Using clean energy means green efficient transportation and a better environment for mariners who work aboard these vessels and others who work in the maritime industry and communities.”
