An agreement has been reached between Wärtsilä and Cryonorm Systems BV, the Netherlands based developer and supplier of cryogenic vaporizers, to form a consortium to deliver LNG systems for the Inland Waterway (IWW) European market.
The main aim of this cooperation is to create a standard LNG fuel system for inland waterway vessels that will achieve lower costs, while also reducing the lead time for the system so as to conform with the short building time of these vessels. As part of the study, numerous types of vessels that operate on European rivers have been analyzed and, as a result, five vessel types have been identified as potential targets for an LNG fuel system. From this study, standards have been established for both newbuild and retrofit installations.
The advanced system that the consortium will bring to this segment is based on Wärtsilä's new LNGPac gas fuel supply system. The specialized version of the new LNGPac will facilitate the use of clean burning LNG fuel by reducing costs and maintenance requirements, while also simplifying onboard installation. Wärtsilä is an acknowledged industry leader in this field, and has led the way in making LNG a viable marine fuel.
Cryonorm is a main supplier of LNG fuelling systems for the IWW market, and supplied the first ever such system for a dual-fuelled inland barge. By working together, Wärtsilä and Cryonorm will deliver a standardized and optimized LNGPac system capable of being integrated into an entire Wärtsilä LNG propulsion arrangement.
"We envisage good potential for LNG as a fuel for inland waterway vessels because of its environmental sustainability and competitive pricing. By sharing the expertise of Cryonorm with the in-house knowledge and vast experience that we have gained in LNG fuelling systems, we expect to facilitate and accelerate the trend towards cleaner and more efficient inland waterway shipping," says Yves Bui, General Manager, Fuel Gas Handling, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
The Wärtsilä LNGPac
Wärtsilä introduced the LNGPac in 2010. It comprises a complete system for LNG fuel handling, which when introduced included the bunkering station, the LNG tank and Tank Connection Space with the required process equipment, the heating media skid, and the control and monitoring system. It is a unique system that has proven to be a valuable enabler of LNG fuel for marine applications with more than 30 LNGPac systems in operation or under construction. By upgrading the system into a more compact and technically advanced version, safety and reliability will be enhanced, while the capital and operating expenditures (CAPEX & OPEX) will be reduced.
The new system has fewer moving parts, and therefore less maintenance is required. Furthermore, the compact design and advanced integration of components makes installation at the shipyard faster and easier. This development has been made possible thanks to Wärtsilä's unique position and comprehensive in-house knowledge of all key components of the vessel's machinery, fuel gas handling system and ship design.
