LNG - The Clean Fuel Alternative

MARINTEK has more than 20 years of experience of developing gas engines for major European engine manufacturers. Typical applications have included combined heat and power production and the transportation sector, covering a power range from 50 to 15000 kW. These gas engines are characterised by high efficiency, within the range of diesel engines, and very low levels of NOx emissions.

A new market segment for gas engines is maritime applications. The first LNG carrier propelled by gas engines is currently under construction and uses a dual-fuel concept developed by MARINTEK. Another application is LNG used as bunker fuel in passenger and freight vessels such as offshore supply ships. One challenge has been that of satisfying rules and regulations. MARINTEK has been involved in the development of a set of national regulations for the use of natural gas as fuel for passenger ships and in the implementation of new rules from classification societies.

Another obstacle to the use of natural gas (LNG) as bunker fuel for ships is the availability of LNG. MARINTEK has developed a ship-based concept called “Kystgass” for the distribution of LNG along the coast of Norway (see own article about “Kystgass” in MARINTEK Review 3-2003). The main market for natural gas is industrial use, but since natural gas will be distributed in the form of LNG and the distribution chain will cover the whole coast of Norway, the possibility of using LNG as bunker fuel is obvious. Estimates of the cost of such a distribution system suggest that LNG will be competitive with fuel oil.

MARINTEK is also involved in the development of fuel and propulsion systems for ships using LNG, including LNG storage, refuelling, control and safety systems and gas engines. One example is a gas engine for direct coupling to a propeller. The illustration shows MARINTEK’s laboratory testing the load response for a gas engine simulating direct coupling to propeller. The engine is a Rolls-Royce type K lean burn gas engine, and the result shows a load response in line with this model’s diesel engine counterpart.

A Rolls-Royce type K lean burn gas engine installed in MARINTEK's laboratory,
testing load response in the case of direct coupling to propeller.
 

Contact at MARINTEK: Per Magne Einang

(This article is presented in MARINTEK Review No 3 - June - 2003)