Becker Marine Systems have received a 7-figure grant from the German Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) to develop LNG PowerPack infrastructure in Hamburg.
The PowerPack system is a flexible solution for supplying power to container ships at ports. Enact Ferlemann, Parliamentary Secretary of BMVI, announced the grant on 15th Feb, saying: “The use of LNG PowerPacs® as an alternative onshore power solution is an important contribution to climate protection and the reduction of harmful emissions at seaport“
The grant is to fund an overall concept for alternative supply of energy to ships at ports and includes the world’s first special containers (LNG PowerPacs®) which will be deployed aboard container ships.
Henning Kuhlmann, Managing Director, Becker Marine Systems said: “During layovers at port the power for container ships is currently being supplied by onboard auxiliary diesel engines using fuel oil (Marine Gas Oil, MGO). By doing so, ships account for the majority of harmful emissions at ports. With LNG PowerPacs® we are creating a modern, environmentallyfriendly, safe and economical option for supplying power based on LNG to container ships during layovers at port.“
The LNG PowerPac® is a compact unit the size of two 40-foot containers, intelligently combining a gas-powered generator with an output of 1.5 Megawatts and an LNG tank in a limited amount of space. Once a container ship is moored, the LNG PowerPac is brought on board via the port terminal’s locally standard loading equipment (such as gantry cranes, ship-to-shore cranes, van carriers). The unit then provides energy to the onboard power supply during the vessel‘s layover.
Ralf-Thomas Rapp (Director LNG Hybrid, Becker Marine Systems) added: “An LNG PowerPac® is equipped with a 20-foot LNG ISO tank. The quantity of 8.2 tons of LNG provided in this way enables an efficient supply of energy on board for up to 30 hours.”