Many harbours and coastal areas may only be approached by ships with sulphur-free fuels. LNG drives or dual-fuel engines that can be operated with gas as well as with heavy oil are prevailing here.

The use of LNG reduces emissions significantly. In gas mode, the CO2 emission reduces by 25 %, nitrogen oxides by 85 % as well as SO2 and particles even by 99 %. Economical reasons also speak for LNG: according to a survey of the marine engineering office Cotenaval, with a stop in-between at the harbour of Barcelona for example, ships save up to 86% of the costs if they are using natural gas. This trend is asserting itself worldwide. In the meantime, more than one hundred ships are being operated using LNG and many others are continuously being put into operation. Two thirds of these ships are equipped with valves from HEROSE.

HEROSE is market leader for valves in cryogenics, for the transport and storage of cryogenic liquefied gases. HEROSE supplies complete solutions for the infrastructure for the storage and transport of LNG as well as for decentralised liquefaction and regasification facilities.

With the increasing use of LNG, the requirement for a comprehensive LNG infrastructure from unloading terminals, LNG tankers, filling stations for natural gas driven HGVs, decentralised energy facilities in industrial operations as well as storage and bunker stations increases.

Extreme loading of the material

Natural gas is liquefied at a temperature of -161°C. The valves and systems used are therefore subject to extreme challenges. When filling with LNG, high temperature changes and the raw ambient conditions of the maritime area burden the material used. For this reason, at HEROSE all components of the valves are designed for durability and offshore operation. They are classified in accordance with the specifications of the leading classifications societies, such as DNV GL, BV, LR, ABS, RINA and CCS and are being used worldwide.

Highest demands on safety

LNG valves and fittings must also always function safely under extreme conditions and emergency shut down valves must guarantee an emergency shutdown at all times. With HEROES valves, the positions “Open”, “Closed” and “Emergency manual actuation” are reliably detected using sensors. Moreover, the opening and closing operation of the valve can be controlled by run-time monitoring on the facility.

Very strict requirements on fire safety also apply for highly flammable natural gas. For LNG use, the HEROSE valves are especially approved for fire safety according to EN ISO 10497.

Planning and implementation of LNG facilities

HEROSE consults plant engineers with the protection against excessive pressure in containers and line systems, or with the storage and transport of liquefied natural gas and cryogenic industrial gases up to -269°C. HEROSE accompanies the plant engineering designers over the entire engineering process of small and mid-scale LNG applications.

Facility-specific design of the valves

HEROSE provides consultation with the most optimum dimensioning of safety valves, shut-off and control valves possible. In doing so, the valves are selected matching the actuator and the overall concept of the facility. On request, HEROSE can put a finished package together that are each best suited for all installations of the LNG project.

Quality and durability of the valves

With a complaint rate of only 0.04%, HEROSE is internationally renowned as a quality supplier and sets standards for safety in the handling of technical gases, vapours and liquids. For a higher durability, the drive components also have a particularly seawater-resistant coating. Every pressure-bearing component is marked for traceability and can therefore be traced back at any time.

LNG project experience

As a family-owned company, HEROSE is very experienced and at the same time very flexibly organised for the field of dynamic LNG projects. HEROSE has been developing, producing and supplying valves for the cryogenic, industry and energy sectors for over 140 years. In China alone, more than 500 projects have been carried out for small-scale LNG applications.

Supervisor for LNG projects

For safe operation, the cryogenic liquefied natural gas already requires a very clean surrounding during the installation of an LNG facility. If for example, the components are not stored free of dust and dirt, sensible sealing surfaces may leak after being assembled. Even the usual pressure test with brackish water may put the operating safety of gas facilities at risk. These requirements differ significantly compared with the operation of conventional fuels. At the shipyard and on ships, the handling of LNG valves therefore requires completely different arrangements and working processes. The experts from HEROSE have extensive experience with such conversion processes and are available as project consultants. On request, they will accompany the implementation of the LNG project on-site in order to provide such best practice experience.

HEROSE GMBH
23843 Bad Oldesloe
Germany

T  +49 4531 / 509-0

F  +49 4531 / 509 120

E  info@herose.com

W  herose.com

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fter banning single-use plastic in 2018, this year, expedition cruise line Hurtigruten will be going even greener through an $850m investment in innovation and green tech.

There are two main elements to Hurtigruten’s green upgrade in 2019. On one side it will be launching the world’s first ice-class battery-diesel hybrid expedition cruise ship, MS Roald Amundsen. Built at Kleven Yard and one of three new ships that will join the fleet, MS Fridtjof Nansen will follow in 2020 and a third, so far unnamed ship, will be delivered in 2021.

The other side will see Hurtigruten replace the traditional diesel engines of some of its existing fleet, including MS Polarlys, with a hybrid combination of clean battery power, liquified natural gas (LNG) and liquified biogas (LBG) engines.

Already free of heavy fuel oil, which is the most polluting and widely used fuel in the cruise ship industry, Norwegian company Hurtigruten intends to power at least six ships with its LNG, LBG and battery-powered systems by 2021.

With the number of biogas plants in Europe increasing from 6,000 to 17,000 between 2009 and 2015, this clean source of energy has become more accessible.

Rune Thomas Ege, vice president of communications at Hurtigruten, says that up until recently one of the main challenges and key issues has been access to LBG.

“Low supply and low demands have been driving volumes down and prices up,” he explains. “We believe this is about to change. Operating on LBG is not a big issue by itself. It can be mixed with LNG, and engines and shore-side infrastructure are the same as is used for LNG operations.”

Biogas production involves the biological breakdown of organic material, such as dead fish. As Norway is the world’s leading salmon supplier, which also happen to have a 19% mortality rate – the equivalent of 53 million salmon dying in a cage (often due to sea lice) – biogas production makes it possible to utilise this waste, as well as other organic matter.

“Fishery and forestry are large sectors in Norway – they create jobs and produce income, but they also produce a lot of waste products,” explains Ege. “The steady access to high volumes of organic waste gives the Nordic countries a unique position on the biogas market. We are pushing for more innovation, more investment.”

“Sustainability will be a key driver for the new era of shipping and the travel industry moving forward,” says Ege, who believes that the biogas market will expand rapidly within the next few years. It’s a vision that ties in well with the company’s overall goal of operating its fleet emission-free.

“Biogas is the cleanest fuel available – the content of LNG and LGB, biogas, is essentially the same: they both comprise of almost 100% methane,” says Ege. “What sets them apart is the production process. LNG is extracted from the ground. Biogas is renewable and produced from organic waste. This means that using it as a fuel actually has a double-positive impact on the environment.”

Frederic Hauge, founder and general manager of the Bellona Foundation, an international environmental NGO based in Norway, says that Hurtigruten's decision is what they aim for, as the waste is refined into fossil-free energy and it also eliminates sulphur and NOx emissions, and particles.

“Hurtigruten has become a symbol of how to put responsibility into action,” says Hauge. “They have taken several important steps to improve their climate and environmental performance. Now they introduce the use of renewables in the cruise industry and that gives us hope for a change of pace in finding sustainable solutions.”

There are over 300 cruise ships in the world and with mid-size cruise ships estimated to emit as much pollution as one million cars, the cruise industry has been heavily criticised for its reliance on heavy fuel oil (HFO).

Fuel oil spills and air and climate pollution are among major concerns in environmentally fragile locations, such as the Artic, where shipping and cruise tourism is increasing.

The Black Carbon (BC) produced can contribute to heart and lung disease and BC from all sources is, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation, the second biggest reason for human-induced climate change.

Hurtigruten operates in environmentally fragile environments, such as the Artic and Antarctica (where HFO is already banned), as well as other destinations, and believes that the cruise industry is not doing enough to achieve greener operations.

The company says it is spearheading a campaign to ban HFO.

A recent study by Transport & Environment, which promotes sustainable transport policies, produced a cost impact analysis of how much banning HFO in the Arctic would cost cruise companies. Its case study estimates the amount at €7/day increase per passenger, which was compared to the cost of a glass of red wine on a cruise ship menu.

More environmentally-friendly ships are being built, such as Ponant’s hybrid polar LNG exploration ship, and this year the AIDAnova became the first LNG-powered cruise ship, topping the report’s rankings for 2018. But 80% of ships are still powered by HFO.

“Talking about change and sustainability is easy,” says Ege. “We need to stop talking and start acting. Acting now is imperative for the waters we operate in, for the reputation of the industry and for the profitability of each individual operator.”