Becker reports smooth start for LNG cold ironing
It has currently provided over eight hours of green electricity to the AIDAsol on its previous two layovers at the HafenCity terminal on 22 May and 23 June 2016.
Henning Kuhlmann, managing director of Becker Marine Systems, said: “Contrary to reports published elsewhere, Hummel is working smoothly and at full capacity.”
“We are extremely satisfied at our record of more than 40 MWh of power over the longest possible period from the morning to the evening, which is equivalent to an entire supply cycle for AIDAsol in Hamburg.”
By October 2016, the vessel would have called in at the HafenCity Terminal 15 times, receiving the environmentally-friendly power from the LNG Hybrid Barge in its layover each time.
Mr Kuhlmann explained: “The inflexible restrictions remain a source of annoyance. The fact that we are still speaking of a test phase despite all the progress we have made in just one year of operation has less to do with our technical capabilities and is more a result of the restrictions imposed on us.”
The alternative system of a landside power plant is currently being subjected to a general certification procedure according to the International Electronic Consortium standard, conducted by the classification society Bureau Veritas.
All components on the barge will now require another inspection together with AIDAsol before faultless power supply by the LNG Hybrid Barge can be certified.
“At the moment there are two different landside power supply systems available in Hamburg so it would be fantastic to see larger numbers of cruise ships converting to this modern technology and making a valuable contribution to improving the air quality at the Port of Hamburg,” Mr Kuhlmann concluded.
