On the 23rd of August 2017, the world’s first container ship retrofitted with an Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) engine was successfully launched. Since May 2017, the container ship “Wes Amelie”, owned by Wessels Reederei based in Harem/Ems, has undergone an LNG engine conversion at the German Dry Docks in Bremerhaven. The first ship of its kind, the “Wes Amelie” will run on the environmental-friendly fuel from this point forward.
The LNG experts from the Hamburg based company Nauticor were selected to conduct the vessel’s initial LNG bunkering at the Kühlhauskai in the Port of Bremerhaven. In total, four trucks of LNG were brought to the German port and transferred to the vessel. “Due to the smooth cooperation between the ship’s crew, the bremenports team, and our experienced specialists, the initial bunkering was a complete success”, stated Sonja Neßhöver, Director of the LNG Portfolio at Nauticor.
With the conversion of the 1,000 TEU vessel, Wessels Reederei is a frontrunner in the use of LNG as fuel for container ships in Northwest Europe. The ship “Wes Amelie”, just like its 15 identical sister ships, is operating intensively on the feeder routes between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. By using LNG, the vessel contributes to the reduction of emissions in this environmentally-sensitive region. The conversion was supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and will likely be extended to other ships in the fleet. Upon completion of the initial bunkering, Christian P. Hoepfner, Authorized Representative of Wessels Reederei, confidently stated, “We are glad that the first transfer of LNG in Bremerhaven has been completely smoothly. Our thanks go to the Harbor Security Office Bremerhaven, the Port Authorities of the Hanseatic City of Bremen, and the LNG supplier Nauticor, who have supported us actively in this project.”
Mahinde Abeynaike, Managing Director Nauticor, added, „With the conversion of “Wes Amelie“, Wessels Reederei has become a pioneer in establishing LNG as fuel for containerships. We are happy to support that effort and are looking forward to future cooperation, taking into consideration that our second LNG bunker vessel will start operations in Northwest Europe next year with a focus on customers in North Sea & Baltic Sea.”
Wessels Reederei GmbH & Co. KG
With a total fleet of 36 seagoing vessels, the Wessels Reederei is one of the largest German management companies for coasters. The fleet consists of 26 coasters, 4 container ships, and 6 multi-purpose freighters. The company, which has 45 employees at its headquarters in Haren/Ems, has always focused on optimizing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions as a critical component of its philosophy. Its initiatives range from measures to improve propulsion efficiency, implementation of software to increase the energy efficiency and the development of alternative propulsion systems.
Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG
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. 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.
Contact person
Wessels Reederei | Christian P. Hoepfner: +49 (0) 5932 501 52
Nauticor | Sonja Neßhöver: +49 (0) 40 468 959 421