Consortium looking into LNG fueling for fishing vessels

The consortium Alternative Fuels for Fishing Vessels (AFFV) has selected three ships for the application of natural gas as a transport fuel.

The selection took place in close co-operation with the consortium partners. Both new designs, new buildings, as well as existing ships of Ekofish Group, Zeevisserijbedrijf P.A. Baaij en Zn. and Maaskant Shipyards were selected.

Pieter ’t Hart, director of Koers & Vaart maritime consultancy, reports that the length of the chosen vessels varies up to about 40 meters. Research for these ships starts with the determination of the costs for implementation and use of natural gas systems on board. The results of these research activities will be compared with the use of low sulphur marine diesel.

According to ’t Hart every ship has its own specific operational profile, providing a general insight in the feasibility of natural gas for a certain ship type and its sailing pattern, cruising and fishing speed. Not only beam trawlers will be investigated in this phase. Attention will also be paid to other fishing methods like twinrigging and flyshooting. Not only LNG, but also CNG will be investigated.

For each scenario the technical, operational and economic most attractive alternative will be determined. The parties envision to share and exchange knowledge within the consortium and see opportunities to further develop natural gas as a transport fuel for the maritime sector in general and the fisheries industries in particular.

Alternative Fuels for Fishing Vessels has a number of partners including CIV Den Oever, Cryonorm, Ekofish Group, Koers & Vaart, LNG 24, Maaskant Shipyards, Sandfirden Technics, Wärtsilä Netherlands, Visafslag Hollands Noorden and Zeevisserijbedrijf P.A. Baaij en Zn.

The project is supported by BluePort North-West Netherlands and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and lasts until December 2015.

 

Press Release; Image: Maaskant Shipyards