Hamburg based LNG supplier Nauticor and Fr. Fassmer located in Motzen/ Berne start cooperation in newbuilding and retrofitting projects for ships with LNG engines, Nauticor says in a press release. Both companies are leading in establishing LNG as fuel for ships with Nauticor comprehensively supplying LNG to marine customers in Northwest Europe and Fassmer being an experienced shipyard for vessels with alternative propulsion concepts. Through the cooperation the two companies hope to generate synergy effects for the commissioning of newbuild or retrofitted vessels, which have been equipped with LNG engines and the respective system components.
Richard Schröder, CEO of Nauticor, is convinced that “the shipyard’s customers will significantly benefit from the cooperation between the two companies. In addition to the shipyard’s experience in building and retrofitting vessels with LNG engines the customers will benefit from Nauticor’s expert knowledge regarding sourcing, storage and transport of LNG, as well as our knowledge about executing LNG bunkering operations for vessels. This successful initial LNG bunkering operation for the “Atair” clearly illustrates the importance of cooperation for innovative projects, such as the first German research vessel running on LNG.”
Nauticor and Fassmer started working together back in 2015 when the newbuild ferry “Helgoland”, the first ferry with an LNG engine built in Germany, received its first LNG from Nauticor (then under the name Bomin Linde LNG) on the premises of Fassmer.
Accordingly, Fassmer’ s head of project, Christian Schmidt, was pleased to see the start of the cooperation: “As one of the few shipyards in Europe with experience in constructing of LNG-fuelled vessels, we notice a rising interest in newbuilds and retrofits equipped with environmentally-friendly propulsion. Due to the successful cooperation with Nauticor we have been able to prepare and conduct the LNG bunkering efficiently and safely. Thereby, additional incentives are created for shipping companies to use LNG as fuel. Not only do they benefit from the environmental advantages of LNG, but also from the economic gains generated by using the fuel.”
The first project to be conducted under the new cooperation was the commissioning and initial LNG bunkering of the research vessel “Atair” at the Fassmer shipyard on February 6th, 2020. Fassmer was awarded the contract to build the new sea surveying, wreck search and research vessel for the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). The vessel is supposed to enter service in 2020 and will replace the previous ship with that name. The team of Nauticor was responsible for purchasing and transporting the LNG for the initial bunkering and supported Fassmer in the execution of the operation. Furthermore, Nauticor will ensure the supply of LNG throughout the whole LNG trial period.
Founded in 1850, Fassmer is a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced special purpose vessels, with its headquarter in Berne, Germany. Nowadays the company is managed by the brothers Holger and Harald Fassmer, the fifth generation of family owners. In addition to the field of special shipbuilding with research vessels, working ships, offshore patrol vessels, ferries and explorer yachts, Fassmer is a global leader in the construction of rescue boats. Furthermore, the company produces components in a variety of segments:
• deck equipment: boarding systems and cargo ports
• wind power solutions: components for spinners and nacelles, helicopter winching areas
• Composite technology: components for the automobile and leisure industry
Today Fassmer employs over 1,500 staff worldwide with production sites in Germany, Poland, China and the US.
The Hamburg based company Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG is a leading supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for ships. As a part of The Linde Group, a world-wide leading gas and engineering company, Nauticor combines a broad range of competencies in cryogenic technology, logistics, and bunkering to develop LNG supply solutions for maritime customers in Northwest Europe, especially the North and Baltic Sea. It is Nauticor’s strategy to cover the entire LNG value chain from the terminal to the end customer, including sourcing, transport, storage and bunkering in strategically important ports.