The 2017-retrofitted ‘Wes Amelie’, a 1,036-TEU feeder container ship, operated by Unifeeder, will become the first vessel in the world to run on Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG), generated by wind energy.
MAN Energy Services, Wessels Marine, Unifeeder and Nauticor are cooperating on the SNG project, which will see ‘Wes Amelie’ use liquefied SNG, produced from renewable electrical energy, as a drop-in fuel.
Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) as marine fuel
To demonstrate that SNG can successfully be used as a marine fuel, 20 of the 120 tons of LNG that ‘Wes Amelie’ typically uses per round trip will be replaced by climate-neutral SNG. As a result, CO2 emissions are expected to decline by 56 tons for this trip.
Automobile manufacturer - Audi’s Power-to-Gas facility in Werlte, where a liquefaction plant is currently under construction, will provide the SNG, which will be generated by wind energy and is thus 100% climate-neutral. The SNG supply will take place, after the completion of the liquefaction plant in Q2 2020.
‘Wes Amelie’ conversion
‘Wes Amelie’ made headlines in 2017, when its main engine was retrofitted to its current, four-stroke unit
‘Wes Amelie’ made headlines in 2017, when its main engine was retrofitted to its current, four-stroke unit that enables dual-fuel operation, the first such conversion of its type the World had ever seen.
Wessels Reederei initiated the pioneering conversion of the ‘Wes Amelie’, which was a milestone within the development of the European container-feeder market, showing that existing engines could be converted to LNG operation with a tremendous effect on exhaust emissions and the environment.
Reduction in SOx and NOx emissions
Engine manufacturer - MAN Energy Solutions reports that the retrofit enabled the ‘Wes Amelie’ to reduce its SOx emissions by >99%, NOx by approximately 90%, and CO2 by up to 20%. As a result, the vessel now meets both Tier II and Tier III emission requirements, set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Hans Staal, the Head of Bunker Procurement at Unifeeder, said “Being a key player in global and regional supply chains, we recognise our environmental responsibilities and are committed to contribute to a further reduction of our global carbon footprint.”
Sustainable operation
Hans Staal adds, “We are delighted to contribute to a more sustainable operation, by testing SNG and jointly with MAN Energy Solutions, Wessels Marine and Nauticor be paving the way for the maritime energy transition.”
