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The Wessels Reederei-operated Wes Amelie is set to undergo a fuel conversion in May that will enable it to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG), Motorship reports.

The 2011-built ship is due to have its existing MAN B&W 8L48/60B engine converted into a 8L51/60 DF dual-fuel engine. When completed, it will be the first container feeder vessel to be converted to LNG-capable, dual-fuel propulsion.

A complete gas handling system, along with a 490-cubic-metre LNG tank, are being installed. The LNG tank is to be located in the fore part of the vessel to limit the loss of cargo capacity.

The project to convert the Wes Amelie's engine to LNG was first announced in October 2015. Originally, the work on the feeder vessel had been scheduled for last year, but was delayed due to 'market conditions and financing', Wessels' general manager and head of business development and special projects, Christian Hoepfner, commented this week. He explained, however, that the delay was not critical as ship-to-ship LNG deliveries by three different LNG bunker suppliers could not be guaranteed until mid-2017.

The engine conversion is to be carried out at German Dry Docks Group (GDD) in Bremerhaven. GDD will carry out pipe work, LNG tank installation and steel section work in the bow, and, together with subsidiary MWB Power, will provide support for MAN Diesel & Turbo.

The project also involves gas system specialist TGE Marine Gas Engineering - for the installation of gas and gas regulator equipment - and SMB Naval Architects & Consultants. Bureau Veritas has been selected to class the undertaking, whilst Tecnitas, the consulting arm of Bureau Veritas, was chosen to carry out a risk assessment of the new LNG-as-fuel system and LNG bunkering operations.

The 1,000-teu, 10585-grt Wes Amelie currently operates in the North and Baltic Seas; it has 23 sister ships - 16 of them are structurally identical, which would allow follow-up projects to be easily implemented.

Hoepfner told Motorship that if the Wes Amelie project was successful, "it is our aim to also re-equip three sister ships - the Type SSW 1000 Wes Janine, Wes Gesa and Wes Carina".