VIDEO: Crowley sets engine on LNG fueled ConRO
MARCH 29, 2016 — Crowley Maritime Corporation has marked another critical milestone in construction of its two LNG fueled ConRO ships with the setting of the MAN Diesel & Turbo 8S70ME-C8.2-GI main
MARCH 29, 2016 — Crowley Maritime Corporation has marked another critical milestone in construction of its two LNG fueled ConRO ships with the setting of the MAN Diesel & Turbo 8S70ME-C8.2-GI main
To support Crowley’s LNG needs, Eagle LNG will build a natural gas liquefaction plant (LNG plant) offering a capacity of 200,000 gallons per day (87,000 gallons per day initially) in Jacksonville, FL. The state-of-the-art facility is slated to be operational by early 2017.
The decision to partner with Eagle LNG was made by Crowley in part because of the two companies’ shared commitment to the environment.
“Crowley is proud to take a leadership position in the industry’s shift to cleaner-burning, natural gas fuel solutions,” said Crowley’s John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “The partnership with Eagle LNG is an important first step in developing sustainable supply infrastructure to ensure these highly technical, environmentally friendly vessels operate to their full capability.”
“The marine sector represents a significant opportunity for LNG fueling in the U.S., and Eagle LNG is well-positioned to build the necessary infrastructure and provide the specialized logistics to facilitate this energy transformation,” said Dick Brown, CEO, Eagle LNG “It takes companies like Crowley to lead that wave of change. Eagle LNG is proud to work with such a pioneering organization.”
“This project is an important investment in our community from both economic and environmental perspectives,” said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. “It clearly demonstrates the leadership role our region is playing in LNG development and progression, while strengthening our commitment to leaving a smaller footprint through cleaner-burning fuel.”
The supply agreement between Eagle LNG and Crowley will provide LNG fuel for the El Conqui and Taino, which are expected to be in service in the second quarter and fourth quarter of 2017 respectively.
The Jones Act ships will replace Crowley’s towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the trade continuously since the early 1970s. The new ships, will offer customers fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company’s diverse equipment selection and cargo handling flexibility.
The LNG liquefaction plant is separate from the previously announced Eagle LNG Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) export terminal located along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, which will continue to focus on export markets in the Caribbean and Atlantic Basin.
Another important milestone was marked last week, with the installation of three LNG fuel tanks in the first ship.
The double-walled, stainless steel tanks – which are 110 feet in length and 20.6 feet in diameter – weigh 225 metric tons and will hold more than enough LNG fuel for two round-trip voyages between the vessel’s future ports of call, Jacksonville, FL, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“While we are all excitedly watching these ships take shape, we are particularly proud of the role we, as a company, are playing to bring the most modern, technologically advanced and environmentally friendly ConRo ships in the world to the Jones Act market of Puerto Rico,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. “There are no other ships of their kind being built anywhere else in the world today, and they are being constructed right here at home – in the United States of America. Having that shipbuilding capability here is essential to our national defense and an important reason we as a country need the Jones Act to be maintained and strengthened.”
Crowley’s two Jones Act ConRo ships, which will be named El Coquí (ko-kee) and Taíno (tahy-noh), are are scheduled for delivery second and fourth quarter 2017 respectively.
“It’s very impressive to see these new state-of-the-art Commitment Class ships take shape,” said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “Seeing those LNG tanks being placed into El Coquí really resonates with me because we are setting a new standard for environmentally responsible shipping.”
The Commitment Class ships have been designed to maximize the carriage of 53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers, which offer the most cubic cargo capacity in the trade.
The ships will be 219.5 meters long, 32.3 meters wide , have a deep draft of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tonnes. Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units), with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Ro/Ro garage.
Each ship will be powered by an MAN B&W 8S70ME-GI8.2 main engine and three MAN 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines, all fueled by LNG .
The ship design is provided by Wartsila Ship Design in conjunction with Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime.
The engine is the first of two 8S70ME-C8.2-GI units for delivery to VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, MS, for installation in the two 2,400 TEU ConRo ships it is building for Crowley Maritime Corporation.
The vessels will be two of the world’s first LNG-powered ConRo ships, with container Lift-on/Lift-off (LO/LO) and vehicle Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) loading. Designed to travel at speeds up to 22 knots, they will be 219.5 m long, 32.3 m wide and have a deep draft of 10 m. In addition to carrying 2,400 TEU of containers they will be able to carry nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Roll-on/Roll-off garage.
Crowley ordered the ME-GI engines, along with three MAN 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines for each vessel, in early-2014. The company selected the high-pressure, Diesel-cycle ME-GI engines because of their high efficiency and power concentration. The ME-GI’s ability to avoid derating, and its negligible methane slip, also contributed to its selection.
Crowley reports that the newbuildings will reduce the amount of CO2 emissions attributable to each container by approximately 38%.
The ships will meet or exceed all regulatory requirements and will have the CLEAN notation, which requires limitation of operational emissions and discharges, as well as the Green Passport, both issued by DNV GL.
The ME-GI engine
The ME-GI engine is the culmination of many years’ work, and gives shipowners and operators the option of utilizing fuel or gas depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations.
The ME-GI uses high-pressure gas injection that allows it to maintain the numerous positive attributes of MAN B&W low-speed engines that have made them the default choice of the maritime community. The ME-GI is not affected by the multiple de-ratings, fuel-quality adjustments or large methane-slip issues that have been seen with other dual-fuel solutions.
MAN Diesel & Turbo sees significant opportunities ahead for gas-fueled tonnage as fuel prices rise and exhaust emission limits tighten. Research indicates that the ME-GI engine delivers significant reductions in CO2, NOx and SOx emissions. Its negligible methane slip makes it even more environmentally friendly
An ME-LGI counterpart that uses LPG, methanol and other liquid gases is also available, and has already been ordered.
Factory Acceptance Test attendees pictured in front of the ME-GI engine at MES’s Tamano Works
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