• 15 Feb 2017

Norwegian shipping company CRYO Shipping has developed a new type of tanker design, which would provide clean and cheap bunkers, in an effort to expand its foothold as an LNG feeder and bunker operator.

The company aims to establish a fleet of flexible and efficient small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, by conversion of offshore vessels into LNG tankers, to be able to secure supply of LNG regardless of location.

The ships will be able to perform both feeding and ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operations in all types of waters and ports, CRYO Shipping said, adding that LNG would be used as fuel for their vessels.

In addition, they will install battery technology to supply power during loading, unloading and STS bunkering, which will eliminate local and regional emissions during port stay.

“We are working with firm conversion project of platform supply vessels into LNG tankers which should be in operation already first half 2018,” Nicholai H. Olsen, managing director and partner of CRYO Shipping, said. “We have designed the LNG system by using known technology, but combined in a new way. We have also developed design for newbuildings with completely new and unique functionality that we aim to contract when our portfolio can meet the investment,” Olsen added.

By 2020 the expected numbers of LNG powered ships are about 1,000. As the few small scale LNG tankers that exist today are not designed to meet regularity and supply requirements in a growing LNG market, the use of LNG storage bunkering facilities will result in congested traffic at storage facilities and harbors.

CRYO Shipping said that it is therefore focused on direct STS bunkering both at port, anchor and at sea, as well as providing “both marine and land-based industry more efficient operations with less time consumed in connection with LNG supply, and consequently at a lower cost than what is achieved today.”