Høglund and partner Skarweld will retrofit four sister chemical tankers with a turnkey gas solution - whilst the vessels are in operation

Høglund has been commissioned to supply and deliver an overall energy turnkey solution consisting of the LNG Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS) with integrated fuel gas control system, an upgrade of the vessel’s integrated automation system and a cloud based digital solution for enhanced data utilization.

Apart from the tank installation, which will be carried out whilst the vessels are at a yard, the retrofit itself will, for the main part, be delivered whilst the ships are in service in order to reduce downtime. By installing new high-quality gas systems without interrupting operations, Høglund is pioneering a new way to complete installations that will have significant benefits for the industry. This type of installation makes future-proofing shipping assets compatible with the ongoing activity of the vessels, overcoming potential commercial barriers to retrofits.

Partner company Skarweld AS will contribute to the project by designing and implementing the piping system for the vessels. The four vessels, the most modern within Utkilen’s fleet, will boast shore power capability as well as shoreside monitoring capacity through Høglund’s systems.

These retrofits complement Utkilen’s sustainability commitment to reduce its impact on the environment and invest in a greener future for its fleet. The new FGSS on board will enhance the four sister vessels’ energy rating and help future-proof them in advance of upcoming regulations on carbon emissions, and to adhere to the ISO 14001 standard.

This project further exemplifies shipowners’ and operators’ increasing recognition of systems integration as a key element to improve the environmental performance of individual vessels and wider fleets.

Commenting on the contract, David Gunaseelan, VP Sales & Marketing at Høglund Marine Solutions, said: “We are very much looking forward to this all-Norwegian project that will allow us to join forces with our local partners at Skarweld and work collaboratively for our longstanding customer Utkilen.

“This project will be particularly interesting due to the fact that, despite being LNG-ready, the four vessels lack gas energy systems, which is something that we are increasingly noticing in the industry. With this in mind, we are looking forward to using our engineering expertise to change this and make the systems onboard the vessels work to maximise their sustainability credentials.”

Leif Larsen, Director Newbuilding and Projects at Utkilen, added: “Having worked with Høglund back in 2017, we are happy to announce that we have commissioned them again to further improve the environmental performance of four of our chemical tankers.”

“Høglund’s invaluable expertise and knowledge presents the latest technological innovation and engineering excellence to provide our fleet with a competitive edge, especially when it comes to optimising our systems’ efficiency and environmental performance.”

-ENDS-

About Skarweld AS

For more than 30 years, Skarweld AS has been located in Bamble, Telemark, in the South East part of Norway. The company has high experience in prefabrication and fitting pipes for cooling and heating systems, and offer a varied product range of delivery to shipping and land based industries. In addition to the design and production of pipes and fittings, Skarweld is also responsible for the assembly.

About Utkilen AS

Utkilen AS is a fully integrated shipping company with headquarters in Bergen, Norway. The company, with a history dating back to 1916, was founded in 1967 and owns and operates 22 chemical tankers ranging from around 6,000 to 20,00 dwt. Utkilen is one of the major seaway transporting companies in chemicals and other bulk liquid cargoes in Northern-Europe. Four of its modern 20,000 dwt stainless steel vessels built in 2018 and 2019 operate in global trade under the company’s Stream brand.