Parker Bestobell Marine wins LNG ferries contract
Being built at Ferguson Marine Engineering in Glasgow, the valves will be installed in the LNG fuel gas systems of the vessels which will be the first UK built ships to run on the environmentally friendly fuel.
Duncan Gaskin, market development manager at Parker Bestobell Marine, said: “We are delighted to be supplying a UK-based shipyard with our cryogenic valves. LNG is being much more widely adopted as an alternative fuel, due to tightening emissions legislation, which is driving the market towards more environmentally-friendly fuels.”
“Our cryogenic valves are being widely specified for LNG fuel systems across the world, due to our expertise in this area.”
The new ferries will be dual-fuel vessels so they can operate on both the LNG and marine diesel. The first Calmac ferry is expected to be delivered in early 2018, with the second vessel following a few months later.
Planned to operate the Ardrossan-Brodick and the Uig Triangle routes in Scotland, the ships are designed to carry 127 cars or 16 HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) or a combination of and up to 1,000 passengers.
Vessels using LNG do not produce nitrous oxides or sulphur oxides, which are strictly controlled in emission control areas (ECAs). They also do not release particulate matter, which causes respiratory problems for humans in heavily polluted cities and they emit 20% less carbon dioxide compared to standard oil based fuels.
