Keppel Shipyard has procured an order from Totem Ocean Trailer Express for the conversion of its ro / ro vessel to dual fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.
Keppel Shipyard, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Keppel Offshore & Marine has entered into an agreement with Totem Ocean Trailer Express. This agreement relates to the transformation of Midnight Sun, a ro / ro vessel to dual fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.
This conversion would be the world’s first major conversion enabling the vessel to operate on natural gas. Also, it would help in reducing the emissions of particulate matter by 91%, SOx by 90%, and carbon dioxide by 35%.
Totem Ocean President John Parrott has high hopes for this conversion. He said, “Totem Ocean is excited to partner with Keppel for the conversion of the Midnight Sun, enabling her to operate on natural gas. The removal and replacement of the four engines, adding 2,200m³ of LNG capacity along with the addition of 47km of new cabling is a complex undertaking. We are confident that Keppel will provide safe, timely, high-quality work to ensure the best outcome for Totem Ocean and our customers.”
Even the Midnight Sun’s sister ship, the North Star, is expected to undergo conversion in the 2016 / 2017 time frame as confirmed by the company. Keppel Shipyard is also busy in the conversion of a Moss type LNG carrier, the Gandria, into a Golar floating liquefaction (GoFLNG) facility. They have received a $684m contract from Golar LNG.
Along with this, Puget Sound Energy has collaborated with Totem Ocean and the Port of Tacoma to undertake the construction of an LNG liquefaction terminal at the port. This new facility would render its services to the Totem Ocean, residents of Puget Sound and the broader transportation industry in the Pacific Northwest. The company has plans to complete this facility by the end of 2018.
Source: seatrade
