SCF says it marks the first year of operating LNG-fuelled oil tankers.
Since taking delivery of the first of its ‘Green Funnel’ LNG-fuelled Aframax crude oil tankers a year ago, in July 2018, PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) has accumulated data showing that using LNG as a primary fuel for these large-capacity tankers enabled a 30 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions compared with similar vessels powered by traditional heavy fuel. This reduction exceeds the original design target values.
Igor Tonkovidov, Executive Vice President and CTO/COO of Sovcomflot, delivered a report on the first results of operating ‘Green Funnel’ series tankers while visiting Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex in the Russian Far East where five similar LNG-fuelled large-capacity tankers being built for Sovcomflot and meeting with the site team from Sovcomflot Engineering Centre monitoring the construction of these vessels.
“It is remarkable that during the round-trip voyage from Primorsk to Rotterdam and back, an LNG-fuelled ‘Green Funnel’ tanker of Sovcomflot emits 350 tonnes of CO2 less than a similar vessel powered by a standard marine fuel. By 2023, SCF Group plans to have 11 LNG-fuelled tankers in its fleet, with five more under technical management,” said Igor Tonkovidov.
Sovcomflot (SCF Group) is one of the world's leading energy shipping companies, specialising in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gas, as well as the servicing of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. The company’s fleet includes 146 vessels with a total deadweight of over 12.8 million tonnes. More than 80 vessels have an ice class.
Sovcomflot is involved in servicing large oil and gas projects in Russia and around the world: Sakhalin-1; Sakhalin-2; Varandey; Prirazlomnoye; Novy Port; Yamal LNG, and Tangguh (Indonesia). The company is headquartered in Saint Petersburg, with offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, and Dubai.
In 2018-2019, Sovcomflot took delivery of six 114,000-dwt LNG-fuelled Aframax crude oil tankers of Arc4 ice class. In 2019, Gagarin Prospect, the lead ship in this ‘Green Funnel’ series, won the international Marine Propulsion Award for Ship of the Year 2018 and Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship Award 2019.
In December 2018, SCF Group won a Lloyd's List Global Award-2018 in the Environmental Award – Individual Company category for its initiative to introduce LNG as a primary fuel for large-capacity tankers.
During the second half of 2018, Sovcomflot placed orders at Zvezda for five LNG-fuelled tankers, which will be time-chartered to Rosneft and Novatek once delivered. In addition, Sovcomflot provides technical supervision for the construction of five LNG-fuelled tankers for Rosneft at Zvezda, and it is envisaged that Sovcomflot will provide technical management of these tankers following their delivery.