VESSEL REVIEW | Haugesund Knutsen – LNG bunkering ship to support Shell’s operations in Spain

Norwegian shipping company the Knutsen Group has begun operating a bunkering vessel to support Shell's LNG supply activities at various ports throughout Spain.

Constructed by Armon Shipyard to Bureau Veritas class rules, Haugesund Knutsen is owned by Scale Gas, a subsidiary of Spanish energy company Enagas. The vessel is also notable for being the first small-scale LNG bunkering vessel to be built in Spain. In addition to refuelling LNG-powered vessels such as cruise ships and ferries, the newbuild can also supply LNG cargo to gas carriers for distribution elsewhere.

The vessel has a length of 92.75 metres, a beam of 16.9 metres, a draught of 4.25 metres, and two IMO type C cargo tanks with a combined capacity of 5,000 cubic metres of LNG. Power is provided by a Siemens SGE-56SL-SFGLD560 LNG-fuelled main engine driving an azimuthing thruster.

The cargo tanks, which were supplied by Gas and Heat, are capable of supplying LNG at a rate of 1,000 cubic metres per hour and are equipped with a Volcano gas combustion unit for use with boil-off LNG to reduce harmful methane emissions. The deck equipment includes a Guerra crane.

Haugesund Knutsen is registered under the Spanish flag and is homeported at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is being operated primarily out of the Port of Barcelona under charter with Shell Espana.