MAN Energy Solutions has reported that the 1,036-TEU container ship, ElbBLUE – the former Wes Amelie – has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 27 per cent by operating on a blend of climate-neutral, synthetic natural gas (SNG) and conventional liquefied natural gas (LNG), compared to LNG alone.
The 1,036-TEU container ship, ElbBLUE is owned by German shipping company, Elbdeich, and operated by charterer, Unifeeder. The vessel sails the North and Baltic Seas.
Compared with heavy fuel oil (HFO), GHG emission reduction was even as high as 34 per cent. The data has emerged from measurements initially carried out on board the ship in September 2021 when the ElbBLUE became the first container ship worldwide to replace a portion of its bunkered gas fuel (around 50 per cent) with SNG.
Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions said: “With this project, we have proven the technical viability of our concept of the maritime energy transition. Today, more than ever, we are convinced that climate-neutral, synthetic fuels point the way to green shipping – and even further beyond.”
Stefan Eefting, senior vice president and head of MAN PrimeServ Augsburg explained, “With this pilot project, we have proven that any LNG-powered ship can also operate with green SNG from power-to-X. Even with a blend of just 50 per cent SNG, GHG and pollutant emissions are significantly reduced. When operated exclusively on SNG, we would expect a reduction of at least 80 per cent in GHG emissions for modern ships.”
Gas operation also drastically reduces other polluting emissions compared to HFO. In the case of the ElbBLUE, nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) dropped by almost 87 per cent, while emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulates were almost completely eliminated (~99 per cent). These values were achieved in both the exclusive operation on LNG and on a blend of LNG and SNG.
Measurements were carried out on a voyage between Brunsbüttel, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands with SNG comprising approximately 50 per cent of the bunkered gas at 85 per cent engine load. The ElbBLUE is powered by a MAN 51/60DF four-stroke engine. As a multi-fuel engine, the unit allows operation with either HFO or liquid natural gas (LNG) as fuel. The ship’s test run proved that the latter can be replaced by SNG without engine modification.
