ESL Shipping, part of Aspo Plc, and Skangas have entered into an agreement on providing gas fuel to ESL Shipping’s LNG-powered newbuildings. As part of the agreement, Skangas will also deliver ESL Shipping with liquefied biogas (LBG). LBG and LNG are interchangeable as fuel and thus the same LNG supply chain is used. The vessels will start operating during the first half of 2018. The first of the two vessels was named Viikki in June 2017, honoring ESL Shipping’s tradition to name its ships after neighborhoods in Helsinki.
“Our new vessels are full of innovation, and they are pioneers in eco-friendliness and transportation efficiency,” says Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping. “This is a huge step towards even greener shipping. Our combination of latest hull design and numerous other energy saving measures together with usage of LNG as the fuel will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions per ton of cargo transported by more than 50 percent in comparison to present generation of vessels. This agreement also helps us to lower our operational costs,” he concludes.
“This agreement is a milestone for Skangas. Viikki will be the first vessel that we will serve from the new LNG-terminal in Tornio”, explains Kimmo Rahkamo, CEO of Skangas. “There will be more to come. The use of LNG in marine transport can deliver significant environmental, economic and social benefits.”
These new, ice-class 1A ships will be the first LNG-fuelled large bulk carriers in the world, representing the latest in technology and innovation and will carry out sea transports within the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. LNG marine fuel meets all current and planned environmental requirements. It also eliminates particles and significantly reduces CO2-emissions. LNG marine fuel is available and will remain economically efficient for the foreseeable future.
This newbuilding project is part of the Bothnia Bulk project, co-funded partly by the EU. Its objective is to modernize the sea route between Luleå, Oxelösund and Raahe to be eco-friendlier. These vessels have been designed in Finland, and European equipment suppliers account for roughly 60 percent of all vessel systems.
For further information please contact:
Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director, ESL Shipping Ltd, puh. +358 50 351 7791, mikki.koskinen@eslshipping.com
Kimmo Rahkamo, Chief Executive Officer, Skangas, Phone: +47 484 06 869
e-mail: kimmo.rahkamo@skangas.com
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Fact sheet of the environmental-friendly solutions of the vessels (pdf)
More information about the new vessels is available here.
Please find below images for download (copyright ESL Shipping):
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| Pictured from the left: vessel operator Tero Valu, ESL Shipping; Managing Director Mikki Koskinen, ESL Shipping; Sales and Marketing Director Tommy Mattila, Skangas and Key Account Manager Jouni Bedda Skangas |
ESL Shipping, part of Aspo Plc, is the leading carrier of dry bulk in the Baltic Sea. ESL Shipping ensures raw material transport for steel, energy and chemical industries year round in difficult ice and weather conditions. Special services include topping-off and lightering of large ocean carriers at sea. The company’s fleet consists of 14 units and the annual transport volume amounted to 10,7 million tons in 2016.
About Skangas
Skangas is a leading supplier of LNG in the Nordic markets. The company provides customers with LNG for shipping, industrial and heavy-duty land transport needs. Skangas helps customers reach their environmental and operational energy goals by offering efficient and stable LNG deliveries. Skangas is a subsidiary of the Finnish natural energy gas expert, Gasum Ltd (70%) and partly-owned by the Norwegian energy company Lyse (30%). www.skangas.com