UNITED Arab Shipping Company's (UASC) five 18,000-TEU ships to be delivered from April 2015 could switch over to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant mid-construction, or shortly after.
UASC expects to switch to LNG for its 18,000-TEU newbuildings
UNITED Arab Shipping Company's (UASC) five 18,000-TEU ships to be delivered from April 2015 could switch over to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant mid-construction, or shortly after.
"They will not be fuelled with LNG from day one... but it may not be too much longer after that," UASC chief executive Jorn Hinge told Lloyd's List. "The increase in fuel prices has been a game changer.
"If you go back five or six years when bunker costs were reasonable, you would think about the cost of a ship when planning a service, but now you think more about how much fuel it would consume," said Mr Hinge.
The availability of LNG fuel is a major factor, which means having secure supply depots at both ends of the Asia-Europe service where these ships will be deployed.
Mega ships are dedicated to Asia Europe, making LNG less practical for smaller ships that go to more varied and less sophisticated ports and terminals.
"It's an easier decision to make for a big ship than a small one," Mr Hinge said, adding that retrofitting could be done within weeks and would not be irreversible because all its engines can run on either fuel.
Major expenses are incurred in the building, making a switch cost effective, though a switch would remove 300-400 TEU from the ships to retain standard bunker burning capability.
