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Spanish engineering and construction company, Sener, has developed a new design for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel.

The ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering vessel has IMO type C LNG cargo tanks at 4.5 bar and minus 163 degrees centigrade, which is designed to reduce the steam generated in the tanks to a minimum.

A boil-off gas (BOG) management system has also been incorporated to process the BOG generated in the transfer process. The storage system is said to allow greater flexibility of operation, and reduce the effect of sloshing inside the tanks, thus allowing partial loads.

The vessel is designed for navigation, manoeuvrability and operation in adverse meteorological conditions. The propulsion uses LNG as fuel, with type C tanks on deck.

The bunkering vessel is said to also include state-of-the-art articulated arms designed for the STS bunkering process, with a high level of automation and control, including an innovating measuring system to obtain the maximum accuracy in the measurement of the transference rate, in order to comply with the regulations of SIGTTO, OCIMF and IGC, among others.

The main particulars of Sener's prototype have been provided below.

- Overall length: 114.8 m
- Moulded breadth: 20.4 m
- Moulded depth: 8.5 m
- Draught: 5.7 m
- Speed: 15 kn
- MCR: 6000 kw
- Capacity: 8000 m3
- Number of tanks: 2
- Material tanks: 9% Ni Steel
- DNV-GL: 1 Al, +Tanker for Liquefied gas, GAS FUELLED, Ship type 2G, (independent tank type C, 4,5 bar, -163ºC, 650 kg/m3), ESP, BIS, SBM, BWM, E0, ECHO, NAUT-AW, Recyclable, ECA.

"Taking advantage of the experience of its professional team, integrated by experts in the oil & gas as well as in the marine sectors, Sener has developed the LNG bunkering vessel, obtaining an optimized design, which is oriented to the operation, security and effectiveness. Special interest is put on the elements necessaries to measure the transference rate, parameter of high importance in this type of ship; and on the study of the security of the facilities (HAZID) and the security of the operation (HAZOP) at the conceptual engineering stage," Sener said.