Gasum Bunkers 1st LNG-Fuelled Research Vessel

Finland's Gasum has conducted its first truck-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in Germany, providing the gas to the world's first LNG-fuelled research vessel Atair, it said on July 29.

Atair is still under construction in the Fassmer shipyard in Berne/Motzen, but is due to enter service this year, replacing an older vessel of the same name that was commissioned in 1987. It will be used by the German federal maritime and hydrographic agency (BSH) for sea surveying, wreck search and research.

Running on LNG, Atair will produce significantly less emissions than if it was powered with diesel, Gasum said, noting that the ship complied with EPA Tier IV emissions regulations. It is also quieter, protecting the marine environment and ensuring optimal conditions for scientific work.

"We are working actively on extending our business in the region and have lined up several projects in Germany, Poland, The Netherlands and Belgium," Gasum's sales director for LNG maritime, Jacob Granqvist, said.