Boost To Spanish LNG Bunkering Role
Constructed by Astilleros Armon in the north of the country at Gijon, the bunker tanker has been chartered by Shell Espana and will primarily operate out of Barcelona, drawing LNG from the Enagas terminal. Norway’s Knutsen Group partnered with Enagas’ small-scale LNG unit Scale Gas for the newbuild project, and the vessel is registered in Spain with a joint venture company.
Featuring azimuthing propulsors, electric drives and dual-fuel main gensets, Haugesund Knutsen embodies two 2,500m3 bi-lobe tanks manufactured by the Italian company Gas & Heat. The scope of the latter’s contract also included the cargo pumps, bunker manifolds, ship-to-ship (STS) fuel transfer system, and automation.
The low air-draught design, in which the bridge is positioned forward, offers a high degree of manoeuvrability and flexibility in serving vessels of all types and with varying bunker station arrangements.
Bureau Veritas said “The vessel is unique in that it is classified according to the society’s NR620 regulation as an <LNG bunkering ship>–a pioneering classification rule created to assess liquefied gas carriers specifically designed and built to bunker LNG”. In addition, the ship’s array of service notations endorses the onboard use of LNG as fuel in the engines.
The powering installation in the Haugesund Knutsen comprises multiple gensets and a total 1,400kW shaft power delivered to a pair of azimuthing main thrusters incorporating solid propellers, ensuring precise, close-quarter handling and transit speeds of up to 10 knots.
With seven LNG terminals around its extensive coastline, Spain has a well developed LNG storage and transport infrastructure, and the debut of the new supply tanker coincides with the country’s growing role as a hub for LNG bunkering activities. The newbuild scheme qualified for substantial grant support allocated from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding programme.
For its part, Knutsen has played a leading role in the development of small-scale LNG shipment operations, as underscored by its introduction 19 years ago of the Dutch-built, 1,100m3-capacity Pioneer Knutsen.
