Hamburg’s LNG Hybrid Barge Put through Paces

The first gas container for the Becker Marine’s LNG hybrid barge the Hummel has reached the Port of Hamburg

The Hummel (bumblebee) will enable Becker Marine Systems to supply low-emission power to cruise ships lying at port in Hamburg.

As part of the LNG Hybrid Barge’s testing programme, the first gas container for the marine fuel was delivered on Monday, December 15.

“The testing of the gas engines at the Port of Hamburg is a first for both the classification society and participating authorities,” said Dirk Lehmann and Henning Kuhlmann, Managing Directors at Becker Marine Systems.

The gas container from Shell Ganor was formally delivered to Becker Marine Systems at the Blohm + Voss shipyard. The container with the marine fuel had previously made the journey from the Fluxys LNG Terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium to Hamburg.

The barge works like a floating power plant and uses low-emission LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to supply environmentally-friendly energy to cruise ships. Compared to conventional marine diesel with 0.1% sulphur content, sulphur dioxides and soot are no longer emitted. Emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are also significantly reduced.

The barge will officially commence operations at the Port of Hamburg at the beginning of the cruise season in spring 2015.