Damen Yichang Shipyard starts construction of LNG bunker tanker

The Damen Yichang Shipyard located in China on Monday (18 March) started construction operations of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker tanker which will be operated by Eesti Gaas under long-term charter from parent company Infortar AS.

The LGC 6000 LNG is designed to meet the requirements of ICE class 1A certification, allowing her to operate all year in the Gulf of Finland and the northern Baltic. She will also achieve green ship notation.

A dual-fuel propulsion system will be used for the management of the Boil-Off Gas (BOG) in combination with a gas burner, and the interior of the vessel will feature high-quality accommodation for her crew.

“The start of steel cutting for this brand-new vessel for Infortar marks an important milestone in the start of her construction,” said by Peter Anssems, Sales Manager, Sales East and South-East Europe, Damen Shipyards Gorinchem, in his speech at the steel-cutting.

“We are very grateful to Eesti Gaas and Infortar for choosing Damen to build their new LNG bunkering vessel. This newbuilding project is also an excellent example of the cooperation between China and the Netherlands and underlines the capabilities of Damen Yichang Shipyard as a builder of sophisticated vessels.”

“With this high-tech joint venture, Eesti Gaas and our launch client ferry-operator Tallink will ascend to having the title of the LNG companies with the most competence and experience in this region,” said Kalev Reiljan, a member of the management board of Eesti Gaas.

“Eesti Gaas has performed over 1,500 port-based LNG truck-to-ship refuellings of Tallink’s LNG-powered Megastar ferry and now we are moving on toward offshore, more mobile solutions.”

This project is co-funded by the EU through the CEF Transport programme.

Photo credit: Damen Shipyards
Published: 22 March, 2019