European owners have been operating platform supply vessels fitted with engines capable of burning LNG as a fuel for some time now, but American owners have lagged behind. Recently, however, New Orleans-based Harvey Gulf Marine has selected Trinity Offshore, a US-based builder, to construct two LNG-fuelled PSVs for Gulf of Mexico work.
The twin 5,520dwt vessels are being designed by STX Marine Inc of Canada and will make use of an integrated LNG propulsion system to be provided by Wärtsilä of Finland. This will include Wärtsilä’s 34DF dual-fuel engines as well as the firm’s LNG fuel storage and handling system. Fuel tanks will have a storage capacity of 290m3, which is enough for more than a week of vessel operational time. The first 10,500hp platform supply vessels is to be delivered by November 2013, with the second following in March 2014.
