Estonia Orders LNG Bunkering Vessel
Estonia’s gas supplier Eesti Gaas has commissioned a 6,000 m³ LNG bunker vessel to meet the needs of a growing number of LNG-fuelled vessels in the northeast region of the Baltic Sea and onshore clients. Onshore clients have so far had to be refuelled with LNG from import terminals in Lithuania or Poland.
The ship, 99.8 metres long, by 18.6 wide, will be built by Dutch shipyard Damen and is slated for launch in September 2020.
The two type-C LNG tanks will contain up to 6,000 m³ LNG at -163°C. The tanks and their piping system will be partly exposed on the deck, which has to ensure good access and easy upgrade options.
The vessel will cost €36mn ($41mn) according to the European Commission (EC), which will supply a fifth (€7.2mn) through the CEF Transport programme.
The EC has proposed to invest €695.1mn in sustainable transport infrastructure of all kinds. In addition to the support for the purchase of the LNG bunker vessel, it will provide €21.4mn for the development of the Tallinn-Helsinki maritime link.
“The vessel will load LNG in the Baltic Sea region terminals for distribution in the Baltic area. The vessel will predominantly operate in the Gulf of Finland area, which has a clear need to move towards clean energy supply,” Eesti Gaas supervisory board chairman Ain Hanschmidt said.
Eesti Gaas will operate the LNG bunker vessel under a long term charter from its parent company and owner of the vessel, Infortar. The technical management for the vessel will be provided by the region’s leading shipping company Tallink Grupp.
By creating a mobile LNG-fuelling infrastructure, Eesti Gaas aims to boost the construction and use of new LNG-fuelled vessels in the Baltic Sea region and to reduce CO2 emissions annually by more than 66,000 metric tons.
Estonia's ministry for the economy said that the vessel will improve the competitiveness of Estonian companies. "When the use of gas as a transport fuel grows, so too will the possibility that developers are prepared to make a market-based investment in local LNG terminals," it said.
The decision of Eesti Gaas to acquire a vessel for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is complementary to the plans of Vopak and will enliven the regional gas market, a Vopak spokesperson said. It is planning to establish an LNG terminal at Muuga near Tallinn. Vopak is the largest independent oil products terminal operator in the Baltic states.
Vopak is preparing to build a 4,000 m³ LNG terminal in Muuga harbour, but has not take final investment decision.