Svanehøj VLEC pump systems order

Both vessels will have a capacity of 98,000m3 and are being built at the Jiangnan shipyard for Pacific Gas. The scope of supply for the customer, Babcock LGE, includes 29m long deepwell cargo pumps and deepwell fuel transfer pumps, as well as deepwell fuel pumps for deck tanks and booster pumps.

“The enormous growth in shale gas extraction in the USA in recent years has increased the need for transporting liquid ethane,” said Svanehøj key account manager, Martin Andersen. “At Svanehøj we’ve worked purposefully to develop pump solutions for the new ethane carriers. With our existing references and now also the Jiangnan order, we’re sending out a strong signal to the market that our deepwell pumps are the preferred solution for transporting gas at sea.”

Mr Anderson said that Babcock LGE chose Svanehøj’s deepwell pump because it is a reliable and flexible multigas pump that is less sensitive to impurities and can handle a variety of liquefied gases including LNG, LPG and ethane at all gravities without any component changes.

Additionally, the fuel transfer pump is designed for a 25,000 hour/five-year service interval, which means Pacific Gas can make do with one fuel transfer pump per ship. The pump is also fitted with a foot valve retraction system, which means the pump can be serviced without having to empty the tank.