Posted on 11/02/2015 5:55:58 AM PST by thackney
The General Dynamics shipyard in San Diego delivered the world's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containership to TOTE Maritime on October 16. The 764-foot long Isla Bella is the first of the Marlin class, a new class of container ship built in the United States, making it Jones Act-qualified for shipments between U.S. ports. The ship was built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, a division of General Dynamics.
Delivered nearly two months ahead of schedule, the Isla Bella will operate out of Jacksonville, Florida, providing service to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The second ship of the class, the Perla del Caribe, will be delivered in early 2016 and will service the same trade route. These ships join a small group of LNG-powered ships, which currently number fewer than 100, excluding LNG tankers, according to data from DNV GL Maritime. They are the first in the largest category of vessels–container ships, numbering in the tens-of-thousands–to be built with dual-fuel propulsion intent on employing LNG as the primary fuel.
LNG-powered vessels directly support the global implementation of rules set by the International Maritime Organization in November 1973 through the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL, or marine pollution) for reduced pollution by marine transport. MARPOL regulations, and amendments, have called for emission controls since 2012, and for even more stringent requirements in Emission Control Areas (ECA) that include coastal areas in North America and the Caribbean Sea, where TOTE Maritime operates.
According to TOTE Maritime, the use of natural gas as the primary fuel for Marlin class vessels will reduce nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and carbon dioxide emissions from these ships by more than 70% compared with the ships that they will replace.
However, because LNG is not readily available today in most U.S. harbors, the challenge that must be met in order to make LNG a solution in meeting MARPOL regulations will be the development of a comprehensive LNG supply and distribution network for the marine market. To address this, TOTE has partnered with WesPac Midstream LLC, a LNG supplier, and its affiliate Clean Marine Energy LLC to build North America's first LNG bunker (supply) barge to service TOTE's LNG-fueled ships.
This bunkering barge will be constructed in Conrad Orange Shipyard in Orange, Texas, and is expected to be delivered in early 2016, with planned deployment to Jacksonville, Florida, to serve the Marlin class container ships, as well as other LNG-powered vessels operating there. WesPac will build a Jacksonville LNG facility, in conjunction with Pivotal LNG, to support the bunkering process.
WesPac Midstream plans to construct additional LNG fueling barges and facilities to provide shipping industry logistics for other North American ports.
Good bye Bunker C.
We knew ye well...
PHOTOS FROM THE ISLA BELLA LAUNCH
http://toteinc.com/photos-from-the-isla-bella-launch/
TOTE AND NASSCO LAUNCH WORLD’S MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CONTAINERSHIP
http://toteinc.com/tote-and-nassco-launch-worlds-most-environmentally-friendly-containership/
August 31, 2015 - Saturday, TOTE and NASSCO launched Perla del Caribe, the second of two Marlin Class ships - the first containerships in the world to be powered by natural gas.Perla Del Caribe - General Dynamics NASSCO
The Perla del Caribe and her sister ship, christened Isla Bella, were purpose-built for the Puerto Rican trade for TOTE Shipholdings and will be operated by TOTE subsidiary Sea Star Line out of Jacksonville, Florida. By moving to natural gas, an environmentally superior fuel, the Marlins will reduce NOx emissions by 98 percent, SOx by 97 percent, carbon dioxide by 72 and particulate matter by 60 percent over the Ponce Class ships - the company’s vessels currently serving the trade.
Now if they can only keep from steering it into major hurricanes.
I wonder if this will eventually lead to the building of more coker units in US refineries.
One would think so, especially as more heavy crude comes to market.
What’s a four drum coker unit go for these days ?
Let’s hope it’s paid for... TOTE is gonna have a lot of suit pay-outs for the loss of the El Faro.
The banks and insurance companies still hold the titles of the 1,000 footers built in the 70s on the Great Lakes.
A Billion $? +/- 400 million $?
Incredible.
I get the coker gas oil cut. Wonder what happens when no one is allowed to burn the coke ?
Historically, 100% of the petcoke from the US Gulf/Venezuela was shipped to buyers in the Atlantic basin (mainly to cement companies), meaning that the price assessments for new cargoes were based on FOB prices for Atlantic destinations.
However, petcoke has become a global commodity since 2008, with buyers in Asia (power and industrial users) becoming more and more focused on US Gulf/Venezuelan petcoke, whenever the C&F price Asia for petcoke is competitive with C&F prices Asia for Pacific steam coal.
6-7 % sulfur.
14,000 BTUs/lb.
Yum !
And it typically has some nickel, vanadium, and other heavy metals.
All the good stuff...
I am not sure which company, but at least one Laker is being converted to run on LNG.
That was the chatter when I retired from the industry. The Pielsticks will be next to go...
Any information on the engine?
Google shows Wärtsilä licensing their LNG technology.
Not so much about what drives the Isla Bella?
The monster engines never fail to amaze me.
http://www.emma-maersk.com/engine/Wartsila_Sulzer_RTA96-C.htm
This is the 14 cylinder.
Fuel consumption at maximum power is 0.278 lbs per hp per hour (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption). Fuel consumption at maximum economy is 0.260 lbs/hp/hour. At maximum economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal efficiency. That is, more than 50% of the energy in the fuel in converted to motion.
For comparison, most automotive and small aircraft engines have BSFC figures in the 0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and 25-30% thermal efficiency range.
Even at its most efficient power setting, the big 14 consumes 1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per hour.
Note, that my wife’s Prius (I LOVE IT) is considered 38% efficient by Toyoda.
I think Interlake Steamship is starting to convert one of their old steamers. Interlake bought the two boats of the Ford Motor fleet some years ago, renaming them for the wife of the owners.
Most likely one of these.
South Korea’s Doosan Engine, under license from MAN Diesel and Turbo, delivered the first 8L70ME-GI engine for TOTE’s 3,100-TEU Marlin Class containership this week.
I was a design then field engineer for a crude oil production facility that used ~31,000 cubic inch V18 from Wartsila. They make a good engine. I have little good to say about their controls and field application to generators at the time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.