ANTHONY VEDER: NEW LNG BUNKER AND TRANSPORTER COULD SPEED LNG FUELING AT PORTS
BY STAS MARGARONIS
A new Dutch transporter will also act as a floating LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) fuel depot at European ports building up their capacity to supply new LNG powered ships that are just beginning to come on line.
U.S. ports might also benefit from deployment of such vessels.
Jan Valkier, CEO of Anthony Veder, a Rotterdam based company specializing in the transporting of various gases, including LNG, has contracted for a new vessel that can transport LNG fuel or act as a bunker (fuel supply) vessel in ports.
Valkier says the use of LNG is on the increase as more vessels switch from standard heavy fuel to LNG as a cleaner fuel alternative.
Anthony Veder will be building a 5,800 cubic meter vessel at the Royal Bodewes Shipyard in Groningen, Holland. This will be the fourth vessel the company builds.
Valkier said in an interview that “the new vessel combines proven technology applied in Anthony Veder’s small scale LNG carriers, including a dual-fuel engine.” The specific design features required to perform safe and reliable bunkering operations, e.g. thrusters to facilitate increased maneuverability, have been developed by both Anthony Veder and Sirius Rederi. Furthermore, the vessel has the highest ice class notation (1A) which allows it to trade in the Baltics during wintertime.
Sirius Shipping transports oil and chemical products in Northern Europe. The company operates eleven modern chemical/tanker vessels in the North and Baltic Sea trade, and one LNG supply vessel in the port of Stockholm. The Donsö (Sweden) based tanker shipping company employs around 200 people.
Valkier said the 5,800 cubic meter vessel has the crane, hose and tenders capacity to act as a bunkering vessel in a port as well as the capacity to transport LNG as a feeder vessel.
He said the new 5,800 cubic meter vessel will have the capacity equivalent of 2500 tons of diesel fuel. A new 1,400 teu ship powered by LNG would have a 1,000 ton LNG capacity.
The new vessel will act as a supplier for a ferry, dry cargo ship, container ship and offshore supply vessel, he said.
The development of this vessel is part of the Joint Industry Project FLEXI included in Pilot LNG, which is part of the collaboration platform Zero Vision Tool. The combined LNG feeder and bunker vessel is an important part of the establishment of an LNG infrastructure in the Skagerrak/Kattegat area and the Baltic Sea. This project is co-funded by the EU through the TEN-T program.
Valkier said Anthony Veder has three other LNG powered ships:
*One 7,500 cubic meter capacity vessel
*One 6,500 cubic meter capacity vessel
*One 16,000 cubic meter capacity vessel
*Two 4700 cubic meter capacity vessels
The 16,000 cubic meter vessel transports LNG to supply the city of Stockholm.
Valkier said the smaller vessels have been loading LNG from locations in Norway and Sweden and delivering LNG to Baltic ports.
Anthony Veder, founded in 1937, began transporting gases such as ammonia in 1969, and built the first of the four LNG transporters in 2009. The company focus is on the segments of petrochemical gases (Petchems), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), ammonia, and carbon dioxide (CO2).