Høglund signs contract with Halliburton AS to deliver turnkey retrofit of an LNG Fuel Gas Supply System and shore power upgrade for RoRo - combination carrier M/V Hannah Kristina

Tønsberg, 15 March 2021: Høglund Gas Solutions AS has signed a contract with oilfield services provider Halliburton AS to provide a turnkey retrofit of the 5932dwt RoRo - combination carrier M/V Hannah Kristina (IMO 9159933). Hannah Kristina can operate dry bulk, wet bulk and general cargo. She is owned by Base Marine Norway AS and under technical management by Larvik Shipping AS while Halliburton is the end-charterer. The project aims to improve the vessel’s environmental footprint by converting the marine diesel oil-fuelled vessel into dual-fuel by supplying an LNG Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS) alongside an upgrade with shore power connection.

The project, led by Høglund, will require extensive collaboration between numerous stakeholders, including naval architects, engineering teams, a retrofit shipyard, various suppliers, class society flag state and the vessel owners and operators. Høglund will therefore collaborate with long-time partners HB Hunte Engineering GmbH and Fiskerstrand Verft AS for the naval architecture and shipyard elements of the project, respectively. The entire project will be classed by DNV.

The scope under the contract consists of a 250m³ capacity FGSS with a dedicated Gas Control and Safety System to serve the already installed dual-fuel M/E with natural gas. For the shore-power upgrade that will be used to power the vessel while berthing and to charge the existing Energy Storage System (ESS), Høglund will supply and install a package consisting of shore connection cabinets of 690V / 600kVA compatible with state-of-the-art shore power supply, following IEC80005-3 standards. Both systems will be seamlessly integrated into the existing Automation System (IAS), Power Management System (PMS) and ESS control system of the vessel which were delivered and installed by Høglund in 2018.

In order to implement the appropriate safety measures following the requirements of the IGF-Code and improve the safety credentials of the Hannah Kristina, Høglund will be combining its extensive knowledge in gas, power and automation solutions with HB Hunte’s outstanding expertise in naval engineering to perform further modifications on the vessel. These will include the adjustment of the mooring arrangement in the LNG tank area and an upgrade to the ventilation system, among other conversions. The delivery of the retrofitted vessel is expected to take place in March 2022.

The goal of this project is to upgrade a 20-year-old vessel with modern environmental credentials. With the use of LNG and battery power, the vessel will significantly reduce its CO2 and NOx emissions both while at sea and during harbour stays. Supporting the project is the Norwegian NOx Fund, a partnership between the Norwegian government and the private sector committed to reducing NOx emissions in Norway.

As such, the turnkey solution approach provided by Høglund is ideal, especially given the complex nature of this project. It provides the customer with peace of mind that contract will result in a vessel that is modern, effective, reliable and fits the operational requirements. Høglund will ensure that the complex stakeholder management aspect of the retrofit works will be run effectively and that this will result in a well-executed project.

Commenting on the contract, Philipp Ulrich, Senior Project Manager at Høglund, said: “The technological and environmental transformation of shipping over the coming years is one of the biggest challenges facing our industry. To achieve this transformation in a commercially viable and minimally disruptive way, meaningful and well-coordinated collaborations are essential. I’m proud that Høglund has been chosen for this project and we are looking forward to leading a consolidated and collaborative effort by working with this diverse set of stakeholders.”

Adding their thoughts on the project, Jean-marc Lopez, Vice President of Halliburton AS, said: "By utilizing Hannah Kristina, Halliburton has moved huge amounts of goods from road to sea, reducing the emission of CO₂ and NOx. With the conversion of Hannah Kristina from diesel to LNG and shore power, we take the reduction of CO₂ and NOx a step further, in line with our strategy to continue to reduce the environmental footprint of our activities.”

Picture: courtesy of Base Marine Norway AS