WHAT is claimed to be the world's first retrofitted containership with an LNG engine has undergone initial bunkering at the Kuhlhauskai in the Port of Bremerhaven.
The Wes Amelie belonging to Wessels Reederei underwent the LNG bunkering operation conducted by Hamburg-based Nauticor after the 1,000-TEU vessel had undergone an LNG engine conversion at the German Dry Docks in Bremerhaven, the Seatrade Maritime News of Colchester, UK, reported.
The bunkering was conducted using four trucks of LNG delivered to the port and then transferred to the vessel. Sonja Nesshoever, director of LNG at Nauticor, dubbed the operation "a complete success" on account of the smooth cooperation between all parties involved. Wes Amelie, like her 15 sisterships, operates on feeder routes between the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
The conversion was supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, and will likely be extended to other ships in the fleet. Nautica, owned by The Linde Group, also carries out ship-to-ship LNG bunkering; the company says it will start operations with a second bunker vessel serving customers in Northwest Europe and the Baltic next year.
