Becker Marine Systems receives federal grant for new containership power solution

Becker Marine Systems has released a statement claiming that its LNG PowerPac^® – an LNG solution for supplying power to containerships at port – has received a grant notification for funding from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

The PowerPac is the size of two 40 ft containers, and combines a gas-powered generator, which has an output of 1.5 MW, with an LNG tank. Once a containership is moored, the LNG PowerPac is placed on the vessel with loading equipment, such as gantry cranes, ship-to-shore cranes, or van carriers, and supplies energy for the onboard power supply during the vessel’s layover. This means that no additional harbour infrastructure is needed. The pilot project will take place at the Port of Hamburg, Germany.

Henning Kuhlmann, the Managing Director of Becker Marine Systems, said: “During layovers at port, the power for containerships is currently being supplied by onboard auxiliary diesel engines using fuel oil (Marine Gas Oil, MGO). By doing so, ships account for the majority of harmful emissions at ports. With LNG PowerPacs, we are creating a modern, environmentally friendly, safe and economical option for supplying power based on LNG to containerships during layovers at port.”

Max Kommorowski, the Director LNG Hybrid, Becker Marine Systems, added: “The energy requirements of containerships depend on the size of the vessel and the length of time they spend at port.”

Ralf-Thomas Rapp, Director LNG Hybrid, Becker Marine Systems, said: “An LNG PowerPac is equipped with a 20 ft LNG ISO tank. The quantity of 8.2 t of LNG provided in this way enables an efficient supply of energy on board for up to 30 hr.”

If necessary, two LNG PowerPacs can arranged on top of each other, ensuring energy supply for a total of 60 hr. Alternatively, two LNG PowerPacs can be operated in tandem, meaning that vessels that require more energy can receive up to 3 MW of power.

Enak Ferlemann, the Parliamentary Secretary at BMVI, said: “By funding the LNG PowerPac project, the Federal Government is promoting the use of LNG as an alternative fuel at seaports. We are thus implementing the recommendations of the Federal Government’s mobility and fuel strategy. The idea is to make apparent the advantages of the fuel of the future, LNG, across systems in selected regional demonstration and pilot projects. By using LNG, the emission of nitrogen oxide can be almost completely eliminated when compared to conventional diesel engines. Also, with respect to greenhouse gasses, LNG has a significantly lower footprint.”

Edited from press release by David Rowlands

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/19022016/becker-marine-systems-receives-federal-grant-for-new-containership-power-solution-2021/