Wartsila to power first CNG carrier

Finland-based power provider Wartsila will provide an integrated propulsion system for the compressed natural gas (CNG) carrier being built for Indonesian state-owned energy company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

The 110m-long, 2,200m2 carrier is being constructed at the Jiangsu Hantong shipyard in China. Ordered and designed by China's CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute for end user PLN, it is scheduled to be in operation in May 2016 and will transport CNG from Gresik in East Java to the Indonesian island of Lombok, where the gas will be used to fuel a power plant.

The first-ever CNG carrier will be equipped with a 9-cylinder Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel main engine operating primarily on gas. It will be the first owned by an Indonesian company to feature a dual-fuel engine and Wartsila will also supply the integrated controlled pitch propeller and gearbox.

Speaking to IHS Maritime, a Wartsila spokeswoman declined to state the value of the contract, saying it was confidential, but said the power system was "chosen for its energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, in line with the Indonesian government's policy to promote the utilisation of natural gas as a marine fuel because of its environmental advantages".

PLN's head of oil-based fuels and gas division, Suryadi Mardjoeki, agreed. "We expect that this CNG carrier will be a model for other Indonesian owners as the government's policy is to promote energy-efficient and cleaner sea transportation through the use of gas fuelled engines.

"Wartsila has always been at the forefront of making it possible for gas to be utilised as a marine fuel," he added.

Wartsila Ship Power area sales director Sanjay Verma added that "this first ever CNG carrier is indicative of the growing importance of natural gas as a fuel for both land-based and marine applications. We are proud to have been selected to provide the propulsion system for this ship."