Wärtsilä, Cryonorm to develop LNG fuel system for European waterways

An agreement has been reached between Wärtsilä and Cryonorm Systems BV, a Netherlands-based developer and supplier of cryogenic vaporizers, to deliver LNG systems for the European inland waterway (IWW) market.

The main aim of the standard LNG fuel system is to achieve lower costs while reducing the system lead time to conform to the short building time of these vessels.

As part of the study, numerous European river vessels were analyzed and, as a result, five have been identified as potential targets for an LNG fuel system. Standards have been established for both newbuild and retrofit installations.

The advanced system will be based on Wärtsilä's new LNGPac gas fuel supply system, which facilitates the use of clean-burning LNG fuel by reducing costs and maintenance requirements while simplifying onboard installation. Wärtsilä introduced the LNGPac in 2010.

 When introduced, it comprised a complete system for LNG fuel handling that included the bunkering station, the LNG tank and tank connection space with the required process equipment, the heating media skid, and the control and monitoring system.

 "We envisage good potential for LNG as a fuel for inland waterway vessels because of its environmental sustainability and competitive pricing. By sharing our expertise, we expect to facilitate and accelerate the trend towards cleaner and more efficient inland waterway shipping," says Yves Bui, general manager, Fuel Gas Handling, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

 Cryonorm is a main supplier of LNG fuelling systems for the IWW market, and supplied the first such system for a dual-fueled inland barge.

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