SINGAPORE: BW LPG announced the successful start of a week-long sea and gas trials for Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) BW Gemini which has been retrofitted with pioneering LPG dual-fuel propulsion technology.
BW Gemini has achieved a historic milestone as the world’s first VLGC to be fuelled by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), with the retrofitted main engine running on LPG and switching to traditional fuel seamlessly.
The retrofitting process at Yiu Lian Dockyard in Shenzhen, China, took approximately 60 days and is estimated to have emitted 2,060 tons of carbon dioxide This is approximately 97% lower when compared to ordering a newbuilding with similar technology.
Says Anders Onarheim, BW LPG CEO, “Strong commitment by the Board and Management to sustainable business operations have translated to this milestone achievement. Heartiest congratulations to the talented people, both at BW LPG and our industry partners, who collaborated for years to deliver on a shared vision.”
Says Pontus Berg, BW LPG Executive Vice President (Technical and Operations), “LPG is powering our vessels while protecting the environment. With over 80 years of experience in LPG handling, we look forward to demonstrating its benefits to the industry and prepare for the future of zero-carbon propulsion.”
Decarbonization is one of the industry’s main challenges and a core commitment of BW LPG in the pursuit of sustainable development. Using LPG as fuel for propulsion is a pioneering and promising solution for sustainable shipping.
BW LPG is the world’s leading owner and operator of LPG vessels, owning and operating Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC) with a total carrying capacity of over 3 million CBM. With five decades of operating experience in LPG shipping and experienced seafarers and staff, BW LPG offers a flexible and reliable service to customers.
BW LPG is associated with BW Group, one of the world’s leading shipping groups. BW Group controls a fleet of over 360 ships which includes product tankers, LNG and LPG carriers, floating storage and regasification (FSRU) units, dry cargo carriers, crude oil supertankers and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units.