Sanmar Launches LNG Tug (Turkey)

The world’s first Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) fuelled escort tug has been recently launched by Sanmar from its construction hall into the waters of Tuzla Bay near Istanbul.

Designed by owner Buksér og Berging AS of Norway the vessel will be completed by Sanmar on its finishing pier and is scheduled to be handed over in early October.

It will then enter service on a long term charter with Statoil ASA, the international energy company, and Gassco, the operator of the gas transportation network off the Norwegian coast.

The LNG system is designed by AGA Cryo and integrated with a Rolls-Royce propulsion system. This single tank LNG system has got full gas redundancy i.e. no diesel back up is required.

The tug, the first of a pair under construction, measures 38m in length with a beam of 14.5m and will have a bollard pull of 65 tonnes.

It is asserted that up to 20 per cent higher thrust will be obtained with only a very small fraction of the polluting emissions when compared to conventional equivalents.

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LNG World News Staff, October 3, 2013; Image: Sanmar