Statoil has awarded Eidesvik Shipping AS the contract for the delivery of a supply ship fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Running for a period of five years from October 2006, with three one-year options, this contract is worth almost NOK 370 million, including options. This is a Vik Sandvik 493 LNG-Avant ship of the same design as Viking Avant, which is already chartered by Statoil. The new ship is planned to transport supplies from Kristiansund to the Halten/Nordland area.
Statoil is the only company that uses LNG-fuelled ships in offshore operations worldwide.
“Statoil has two LNG-fuelled ships under existing contracts. They have performed to our full satisfaction, not least in terms of the environment. LNG-fuelled ships emit considerably less NOx and carbon dioxide than conventional diesel-powered ships,” says Anne Therese Hestenes, senior vice president, operations support, in the Exploration & Production Norway business area.
The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) are expected to be cut by almost 90%, which represents 160 tonnes per year. This corresponds to the annual NOx emissions from 20,000 cars. The carbon emissions will be reduced by approximately 20%.
”We wish to contribute to a development that makes it economically advantageous to choose environmentally sound solutions. In keeping with international treaties, Statoil focuses on the environmental actions that provide the most improvement for each dollar invested,” Ms Hestenes says.
The supply ship, which is under construction at the Westcon shipyard at Ølen in south-western Norway, is scheduled to be delivered in the autumn of 2007. Another ship will be used during the construction of the LNG-fuelled ship.