New bunker vessels for Kanfer and LNG tugs for Sembcorp Marine

Norwegian shipping company Kanfer Shipping AS (Kanfer) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Chinese shipbuilding company Taizhou Wuzhou Shipbuilding Industry for the construction of its first two small-scale LNG bunker tankers, each of capacity of 6,000 cubic meters.

The concept design of the two bunkers was developed by CGR Arctic Marine AS, Kanfer's technology partner. The ships will be single-tank with a simple layout and provide for gas electricity generation combined with hybrid battery technology with a very low environmental footprint. Maneuverability will be ensured by Azipull thrusters and bow thruster combined with the movement of the joystick. The marine diesel (MDO) tank will be 500 cubic meters.

The delivery of the first two units is expected within the first half of 2023, with the possibility of building others in series. Kanfer will own the vessels together with its partners and charter them on long-term contracts.

Stig Hagen, founder and CEO of Kanfer Shipping said "These will be the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly small-scale LNG bunkers in the global market," adding that he sees a rapidly expanding market for LNG bunker vessels, "as the he global maritime industry continues to pursue its decarbonisation goals through LNG. The growing demand for new LNG refueling vessels makes our decision timely, especially now that equivalent newly built vessels have already been chartered to be delivered in 2022. The need for the emergence of new LNG refueling centers will be truly paramount as the trading model for gas vessels will be global and highly diversified. Existing hubs will also need to expand to meet the growing demand. "

The Singapore shipyard Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard has started construction of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) harbor tug that will operate in the port of Singapore, on behalf of Jurong Marine Services (wholly owned by Sembcorp Marine). The supply contract calls for the construction of up to 12 similar tugs, because the company plans to replace all of its diesel tugs by 2025.

The ABS-class tug designed by Norwegian engineering company LMG Marin (also a subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine) will use two 16-cylinder MTU 4000 series M55RN gas engines supplied by Rolls-Royce Power Systems, which will most likely be used. for the rest of the series. The first unit is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021 and will have a bollard pulling power of approximately 65 tons, enough to handle container ships, oil tankers and LNG carriers that go to the port of Singapore.

Chew Xiang Yu, Rolls-Royce Power Systems' head of marine commercial operations in Asia, commending Sembcorp Marine's efforts in adopting new technologies to protect the environment in its operations, said: ”The M55RN LNG engines of the MTU series, featuring multipoint injection, dynamic propulsion control and enhanced turbocharging, will deliver a combined total power of 2,984 kW at 1,600 rpm, comparable to high-speed diesel engines, delivering significantly reduced emissions below current IMO Tier limits III, without the need for exhaust gas after-treatment ".