MADRID: The Nor Lines’ Kvitbjørn 5,000 dwt short sea cargo vessel has made history by becoming the world’s first vessel to operate between Asia and Europe solely on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the ship’s bunker fuel.
The ship made its delivery voyage from the Tsuji Heavy Industries shipyard in Jiangsu, China, to Bergen, Norway, via Singapore, with subsequentLNG bunkerings in Cochin, India and Cartagena, Spain. According to Rolls-Royce, this was the longest voyage ever undertaken by a vessel running solely on LNG.
The Environship, which can be adapted for different ship types, incorporates a range of Rolls-Royce technologies to deliver efficiency savings for shipowners. These include a Bergen engine fueled by LNG, the Promas combined rudder and propeller, a hybrid shaft generator to optimize use of electrical power and an innovative wave-piercing hull design. The combined technologies that make the Environship concept reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent compared to similar diesel powered vessels, dependent on operational profile.
