Italy in the LNG bunker: Gas and Heat and Fratelli Cosulich

The Italian Gas and Heat has entered into a contract for the supply of the LNG tank and the fuel handling system for a tanker barge for the owner Knutsen Scale Gas, which will rent it to Shell Spain. The vessel can carry up to 5,000 cubic meters of LNG and is under construction in the Astilleros Armon shipyard in Gijon, Spain. The tank will be IMO type C and the supply also includes cargo pumps, bunker collectors, tax transfer system and the bunkering system.

The barge, about 93 meters long, with a width of 17 and a draft of just over 4 meters, will carry out the refueling operations from ship to ship in the port of Barcelona, at the Enagas terminal. Gas and Heat is an established builder of LNG tanks that collaborates with international shipowners and shipyards. The two 7,500 cubic meter LNG bunkers in Avenir, already operational, and the tanks of the Higas coastal depot, soon to be inaugurated in the port of Santa Giusta, Oristano, are being built in the LNG sector.

The agreement was announced after the keel laying ceremony of the barge, which will be the first LNG refueling vessel built in Spain. The project was promoted by Enagás, through its Scale Gas subsidiary, which manages small-scale LNG supplies, together with Knutsen OAS Shipping and the Port of Barcelona. The construction had a European contribution, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program, of 9 million euros (190.7 million dollars) and is part of the "LNGhive2" institutional strategy led by Puertos del Estado in support of the development of the LNG market as a sustainable marine fuel in Spain.

The Genoese shipowner Fratelli Cosulich has ordered from the Chinese shipyard CIMC SOE an 8,000 cubic meter LNG tanker, with a reserve of 500 cubic meters of marine diesel, for ship-to-ship bunkering operations. The intention to enter the small-scale LNG sector has long been known. The vessel will be equipped with Wärtsilä Gas System propulsion and power generation systems and will be equipped with quantitative and qualitative LNG and natural gas (NG) fiscal measurement systems, as well as a LNG sub-cooling system that allows the reuse of the excess boill off. The is scheduled for summer 2023.

The propulsion and maneuvering system will be azimuth type, with double bow thruster to allow high maneuverability in port areas. The total value of the investment is approximately $ 45 million and the loan was disbursed directly with the support of a pool of financial institutions consisting of BPER Banca, Banca Popolare di Sondrio, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and insurance coverage from SACE Simest. with "Green Guarantee". The contribution of 4.5 million euros (5.47 million dollars) from the European Union is expected under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program.

“It is our responsibility to make navigation increasingly environmentally friendly, in the interest of future generations. We have acted proactively, in order to offer coverage of the Mediterranean basin, following the trend that sees the construction of new ships equipped with alternative propulsion, especially in the passenger ship sector" declared the Honorary President of the Group, Ing. Andrea Cosulich.