Wes Amelie SNG trials could be expanded
The pilot project is believed to be the world’s first on a working vessel and will take place on the1,036teu LNG feeder Wes Amelie. The ship was converted in 2017 when its MAN 8L48/60B main engine was retrofitted to its current multi-fuel, four-stroke MAN 51/60DF unit. Wes Amelie is part of the fleet of German shipowner Wessels Reederei.
The planned SNG trials involve group member Wessels Marine as well as MAN Energy Solutions and is also supported by charterer Unifeeder and LNG transport concern Nauticor.
To demonstrate the viability of SNG as a marine fuel, liquefied SNG will be used as a drop-in fuel on the 10,350gt container ship.
The SNG is to be supplied from a new liquefaction plant being built at car manufacturer Audi’s power-to-gas factory in Wertle in north Germany.
It is due to begin pilot operation in July, Wessels Marine MD Philip Hoepfner told The Motorship. He reported a lot of interest in the SNG project and said it was planned to use 20 tons of SNG in the first pilot trial. “This corresponds to approximately 15% of the required amount of liquefied gas for a Wes Amelie tour”, he explained. The project partners estimate that the fuel drop-in will reduce CO2 emissions by 56 tons per trip.
Hoepfner added : “We will see how the hardware reacts to this and what the results of this first pilot with SNG will be. The participants will then decide whether there should be another pilot with about 50% SNG and if feasible a third stage with 100%”, he said.
The latest word on the SNG pilot project comes as the German Transport Ministry in Berlin (BMVI) evaluates applications from a number of German shipowners for funding for further ship conversions to LNG. The applicants include Wessels Reederei whose Managing Partner Gerd Wessels told The Motorship the owner was still seeking project funding from Berlin to retrofit three sisters of Wes Amelie.
He noted “the ecologically and economically pleasing development on Wes Amelie” since its conversion. LNG is said to have saved nearly a million Euros in bunker costs last year with similar savings tipped this year. Wessels stressed however that without funding for further ships “retrofitting is currently not possible”.
BVMI spokesman Tim Alexandrin told the Motorship that as of late February “no decisions on funding have been taken ”.
Asked if the latest SNG developments at Wessels Marine had any bearing on the Berlin LNG applications, Philip Hoepfner said “SNG capability is certainly good but not a mandatory requirement for granting funding for LNG retrofits ”.
He explained: “Initially, project funding is aimed exclusively at LNG. The potential and possible utilisation of SNG along with the LNG technology which is being funded is a very positive side effect”.
Hoepfner added: “That is why the BMVI is monitoring and following our SNG pilot project very closely”. He stressed however that the costs of the SNG project were being borne solely by its participants.
