(HELSINKI, Finland) — The technology group Wartsila’s fuel gas supply systems have passed a milestone with the 100th order being booked. Two new shuttle tankers being built for Singapore based AET Tankers will feature Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines running primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG), and fitted with LNGPac units. This contract brought the total number of orders received for this system to 100.
Introduced in 2009, the Wartsila LNGPac has played an important role in establishing the viability of LNG as a marine fuel. The system comprises a bunkering station, the LNG fuel tank and related process equipment, as well as the control and monitoring system. The LNGPac fuel system can be offered as a standalone product, or as part of a complete propulsion system.
The first LNGPac installation was for the chemical tanker Bit Viking owned by Swedish operator Tarbit. This vessel was converted for LNG fuel operation in 2011, and its success paved the way for the acceptance of the Wartsila solution. Today the LNGPac is installed on at least 12 different types of vessels, including passenger ferries, tugs, dredgers and offshore vessels.
Since the original introduction of the LNGPac, Wartsila has continued to develop the system. The company has, for example, pioneered the utilization of the cold energy stored in LNG by using it to cool the onboard HVAC and galley system. Another pioneering achievement has been the development of a compact LNGPac with an integrated gas valve unit (GVU) and airlock. The inline tank connection space for single shell tanks has been developed, as has been a dedicated LNG fuel pump based on the well-proven deepwell pump technology. As the maritime industry moves into a new era of connectivity and digitalization, Wartsila is actively developing more smart features for the LNGPac, such as energy content measurement and real-time gas quality measurement.
The LNGPac system can be customized to the needs of each project on a case by case basis. Dedicated engineering is conducted from the beginning of the project to match the specific operational requirements, safety and classification society requirements.
Wartsila offers optimized maintenance agreements, including condition-based monitoring (CBM), for the LNGPac system.
For more information, visit www.wartsila.com.
