Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2015)

GOVERNMENT UPDATE

Underway on LNG

BY DENNIS BRYANT

On 17 January 1955, Commander Eugene P. Wilkinson, USN, the ? rst Commanding O? cer of USS Naut lus (SSN 571) signaled the memorable and historic message “Underway on nuclear power.”

Underway on LNG has an opportunity to signal an equally signi? cant change in the merchant marine.

n February 6, 2015, the newly built Harvey Gulf International

OMarine offshore supply vessel (OSV) Harvey Energy was bunkered for the ? rst time by lique? ed natural gas (LNG) delivered by tank truck in

Pascagoula, Miss. After receiving clas- si? cation from the American Bureau of

Shipping (ABS) and a Certi? cate of In- spection from the US Coast Guard, Har- vey Energy got underway for its home- port of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. This event marked the ? rst time that a vessel in North American waters has been un- derway powered by LNG – but it won’t be the last.

Harvey Energy was built by the Gulf

Coast Shipyard in Gulfport, Mississippi, with careful monitoring by both ABS and the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard recently promulgated policy letters ad- dressing: (1) operations and training of personnel on vessels using natural gas as fuel; and (2) vessels and waterfront facilities conducting LNG marine fuel transfer (bunkering) operations. The

Coast Guard also has been working closely with the IMO in development of an International Code of Safety for Ships

Using Gases or Other Low Flashpoint

Fuels (IGF Code). ABS, along with

The historically signi? cant Harvey Energy.

various other classi? cation societies, has developed rules for classifying LNG-

While LNG-powered vessels are new world’s ? rst LNG-powered container in Jacksonville, Florida, they will carry powered vessels. Harvey Energy has been chartered to Shell for its deepwater to North America, such vessels have ships, are under construction at the containers between Jacksonville and San operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Two been operating in northern Europe (par- NASSCO shipyard in San Diego for Juan, Puerto Rico. sister ships are under construction and ticularly in Norway) for several years. TOTE Shipholdings. When delivered TOTE is also converting its two Or- in late 2015 and early 2016, these dual- ca-class trailerships to operate on LNG. three more are planned. Harvey Gulf has built a bunkering facility in Port TOTE and Sea Star Line fuel Marlin-class containerships will be These vessels will carry cargo (trucks,

Two ships, destined to become the operated by Sea Star Line. Homeported cars, trailer-borne material, military

Fourchon for its LNG-powered OSVs.

18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2015

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