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"Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar just finished building two tugboats powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Named Borgøy and Bokn, the two tugs are powered by Rolls-Royce engines and run solely on LNG.
The first, Borgøy, is due to be delivered to Norway’s Statoil oil and gas production company next month, where it will be used at the company’s gas terminal in Kårstø. First, it has to undergo a series of tests on the water to ensure everything is ship-shape.
While most tugs burn marine diesel fuel and smoke like factories, Borgøy and Bokn are said to emit far less pollution. Sanmar estimates the new ships will belch 26 percent less CO2 and up to 90 percent less NOx. They’ll also have nearly no particulate emissions. While Kårstø isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, minimizing emissions is especially important with tugboats constantly plying the waters near populated coastlines, so this technology would be a boon for big city ports.
Even though the new engines are more environmentally friendly than diesel mills, that doesn’t mean they’re less powerful. The two Rolls-Royce engines on each ship put out a combined 4,572 hp at 1,000 RPM, and they’ve got more than enough torque to do the job. The two engines are also 20 percent more efficient in powering the tugs’ massive azimuth thrusters, the rotating propellers that give a tug its much-needed maneuverability.
LNG offers numerous benefits to tugboat operators. Rolls-Royce says its LNG engines require less maintenance than their diesel counterparts. The fuel is falling in price, and it helps tugboat operators comply with ever-tightening environmental regulations.
“Most of the world’s tug fleets operate close to shore, where emissions regulations are most stringent,” said Neil Gilliver, president of Rolls-Royce merchant. “As LNG becomes more widely available, I have no doubt that many major ports will soon opt for this clean, lower cost and smoke-free fuel to power their tugs.” "
"Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar just finished building two tugboats powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Named Borgøy and Bokn, the two tugs are powered by Rolls-Royce engines and run solely on LNG.
The first, Borgøy, is due to be delivered to Norway’s Statoil oil and gas production company next month, where it will be used at the company’s gas terminal in Kårstø. First, it has to undergo a series of tests on the water to ensure everything is ship-shape.
While most tugs burn marine diesel fuel and smoke like factories, Borgøy and Bokn are said to emit far less pollution. Sanmar estimates the new ships will belch 26 percent less CO2 and up to 90 percent less NOx. They’ll also have nearly no particulate emissions. While Kårstø isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, minimizing emissions is especially important with tugboats constantly plying the waters near populated coastlines, so this technology would be a boon for big city ports.
Even though the new engines are more environmentally friendly than diesel mills, that doesn’t mean they’re less powerful. The two Rolls-Royce engines on each ship put out a combined 4,572 hp at 1,000 RPM, and they’ve got more than enough torque to do the job. The two engines are also 20 percent more efficient in powering the tugs’ massive azimuth thrusters, the rotating propellers that give a tug its much-needed maneuverability.
LNG offers numerous benefits to tugboat operators. Rolls-Royce says its LNG engines require less maintenance than their diesel counterparts. The fuel is falling in price, and it helps tugboat operators comply with ever-tightening environmental regulations.
“Most of the world’s tug fleets operate close to shore, where emissions regulations are most stringent,” said Neil Gilliver, president of Rolls-Royce merchant. “As LNG becomes more widely available, I have no doubt that many major ports will soon opt for this clean, lower cost and smoke-free fuel to power their tugs.” "