Shell Taps Tech to Cut LNGC Fuel Use

Shell has signed a framework deal with the UK’s Silverstream Technologies to retrofit some of its LNG carriers (LNGCs) with air lubrication systems so that they use less fuel, Silverstream said on December 20.

Silverstream said in a statement the deal would see the pair work closely in the design, engineering, procurement and execution of its trademarked Silverstream System. Running for three years, the framework will expedite the system’s installation on Shell’s LNGCs, it said, reducing contract lead times and the total cost of ownership for vessel operators.

The Silverstream system creates a carpet of microbubbles that cover the entire flat bottom of a vessel, reducing frictional resistance between the hull and the water in order to cut fuel use. Silverstream and Shell have carried out a number of joint vessel performance studies and sea trials to assess the system’s effectiveness since 2014. The trials show that its use reduces fuel consumption and associated emissions by 5-10%, depending on vessel profile, according to Silverstream.

“Given the rate of change within our industry, we hope that this will prove to the sector that retrofitted clean technologies such as the Silverstream System are easy to procure and execute, and should form an integral part of an overall GHG emissions reduction strategy for existing vessels and fleets,” Silverstream CEO Noah Silberschmidt said, commenting on the deal with Shell.