Høglund to supply gas solutions to Norway's first LNG bunker vessel

Høglund has been awarded a contract by Bergen Tankers to deliver a cargo handling system (CHS) for the LNG bunker vessel Bergen LNG, the company announced yesterday.

As part of a long-term charter with Shell Gasnor, the vessel will be the first LNG bunkering vessel to operate in Norway, and will be retrofitted from an existing fuel oil bunkering vessel. Previously known as Oslo Tank, Bergen LNG will operate in Bergen harbour from Q4 2020 and will serve future LNG cruise ships from Hurtigruten and Havila Coastal Route.

Høglund will supply both hardware and automation solutions to ensure safe and efficient operations, including an IMO Type C cargo tank, cargo pumps, bunker manifolds, custody transfer system, and a ship-to-ship transfer system. Høglund will also provide cargo control and emergency shutdown (ESD) systems, and ship-to-shore/ship-to-ship link systems.

The project demonstrates the growing understanding within shipping that transition to alternative fuels will require specialised, bespoke solutions – particularly when it comes to bunkering infrastructure. The range of locations where LNG will be used as a marine fuel is growing, and as such, the range of bunkering solutions is growing, as the retrofit of the Oslo Tank shows.

“Høglund has worked on several of the world’s current LNG bunkering vessels, and each project has demonstrated how specialist expertise is needed to integrate and control the systems of these vessels safely and reliably. Retrofits should be an easy way for an owner to benefit from the shift to alternative fuels, but there are complications that can stand in the way that require more than the standard one-size-fits-all solution to overcome”, says Peter Morsbach, Director Projects at Høglund Gas Solutions.

He added: “Unlike a newbuild, which belongs to the yard until delivery, a retrofitted vessel is the property of the owner throughout its refitting. At Høglund, we support the owner by drawing upon our dedicated expertise and vast experience to ensure an in-time delivery, installation of our solutions and overall integration of loose ends. As a result, we can help owners to facilitate retrofits that are both timely and engineered for long-term reliability.

Ingemar Tønder Presthus, Technical & Marine Manager, Bergen Tankers said, “This retrofit is a complex technical challenge from both a hardware and software engineering point of view. Høglund was an ideal choice, based on their track record fitting automation systems for LNG bunker vessels and other vessel types elsewhere in the world, and their ability to execute a retrofit quickly.”

Høglund also supplies the Fuel Gas Supply Systems (FGSS) for the Hurtigruten vessels that will operate out of Bergen. The vessels will be compatible for use with sustainably sourced bio-LNG, allowing for significant CO2 savings. As the supplier of gas systems to both Bergen Tankers and Hurtigruten, Høglund’s solutions will underpin all onboard links in the fuel supply chain, ensuring an efficient and technically sound link during bunkering.