Module 2 Safety of LNG handling on Plant, Bunkering Station & on board Vessels (14 th to 16 th September 2015- Strathclyde University) Presentation “ Considerations regarding Ship to Ship Bunkering Procedures of LNG fueled vessels ” 14 th of September 2015 Delivered by: Environmental Protection Engineering S.A. (EPE) Presented by: Ioannis Bakas, HeLeNGi Technical Manager, Mechanical Engineer MSc, MBA 1
Contents 1. General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel. 2. Definitions and Conditions. 3. Safety. 4. Operations, before during and after bunkering. 5. Cargo Systems and Equipment. 6. ESD and Emergency Procedures. 7. Training and Documentation. 2
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel 1. General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel. 2. Definitions and Conditions. 3. Safety. 4. Operations, before during and after bunkering. 5. Cargo Systems and Equipment. 6. ESD and Emergency Procedures. 7. Training and Documentation. 3
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as ship fuel is now considered a good option to meet future regulations regarding SOx and NOx emissions set up by international authorities. Why LNG? As of current year 2015, the allowed SOx (Sulphur oxides) emissions from ships sailing within ECA (Emission Control Area) are drastically reduced. Since the sulphur comes purely out of the fuel, a change of fuel away from high sulphur fuels or a change to LNG will solve this problem. Low sulphur fuels will then most probably be more sought after and therefore possibly more costly, which will make LNG even more interesting as bunker fuel. What is LNG. LNG stands for Liquefied natural gas, that is natural gas (mainly methane, CH 4 ) that has been converted to liquid form. 4
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel About Natural Gas (NG) Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed when layers of buried plants and gases are exposed to intense heat and pressure over thousands of years. The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in natural gas. Natural gas is a nonrenewable resource because it cannot be replenished on a human time frame. Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly includes varying amounts of other higher alkanes and sometimes a usually lesser percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and/or hydrogen sulfide. Natural gas is an energy source often used for heating, cooking, and electricity generation. It is also used as fuel for land and marine vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals. Source: Wikipedia 5
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel LNG is natural gas that is cooled into liquid form at (-160°) ÷ (-164°) degrees Centigrade, reducing it to one-six- hundredth (1/600) of its original size. After NG has been extracted and transported to a processing plant, it is then purified by removing any condensates such as water, oil, mud, as well as other gases like CO₂ and H₂S and sometimes solids as mercury. The gas is then cooled down in stages until it is liquefied. LNG is finally stored in storage tanks and can be loaded and shipped. The liquefication process involves removal of certain components, such as dust, acid gases, helium, water, and heavy hydrocarbons, which could cause difficulty downstream. The natural gas is then condensed into a liquid at close to atmospheric pressure (maximum transport pressure set at around 25 kPa/3.6 psi) by cooling it to approximately − 162 °C (− 260 °F). The volume reduction makes it much more cost efficient to transport over long distances where pipelines do not exist. Where moving natural gas by pipelines is not possible or economical, it can be transported by specially designed cryogenic sea vessels (LNG carriers) or cryogenic road tankers. The energy density of LNG is 60% of that of diesel fuel. 6
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel On arrival, it is converted back into a gaseous form for delivery to users such as power stations, industries, commercial buildings and domestic. The above mentioned process is summarised in the next picture (source: Wikipedia) LNG as Fuel: the core benefits: • 100% less SOx • 85% less NOx • 30% less CO2 7
General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel 8
Definitions and Conditions 1. General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel. 2. Definitions and Conditions. 3. Safety. 4. Operations, before during and after bunkering. 5. Cargo Systems and Equipment. 6. ESD and Emergency Procedures. 7. Training and Documentation. 9
Definitions and Conditions Definitions 1. Bunker Ship: a ship which transfers liquefied gases to another ship for propulsion purposes. 2. Bunkering Installation: all piping, process components, instrumentation and other hardware for the transfer of LNG from the bunker ship to the receiving ship’s manifold. 3. ESD: Emergency Shut-Down. The functions of the ESD-system are to stop the liquid fuel and vapor flow in the event of an emergency and to bring the bunker handling system to a safe static condition. 4. EX-Zone Area: an area in which all electrical equipment has increased safety level and the electric energy too low to avoid ignition of LNG vapor. 5. IGC Code: IMO International code for Gas-Carriers 6. IGF Code: (Interim)IMO International code for Gas-Fuelled ships. Interim version, still under evaluation. Final version is expected to be placed in force in early 2016. 7. LNG: Liquefied Natural Gas. Predominantly methane (CH4) which has been cooled down to approx. -162 deg. C and converted to liquid for easier storage and transportation. 8. Safety zone: the area around the bunkering station where only dedicated and essential personnel and activities are allowed during bunkering 9. SECA: SOx Emission Control Areas are defined areas with restrictions regarding the amount of sulphur in the fuel. 10
Definitions and Conditions Conditions 1. Approval: Before commencing any bunker operations it is necessary to have Authorities approval for LNG bunkering, to check the local regulations and get approval from the Port in which the transfer is planned to be carried out. 2. Ship Compatibility: It must be clarified that mooring and bunker equipment are compatible in design so that the bunker operation can be conducted in a safe way before commencing any operations. Following points are to be confirmed by communication : • Possibility for safe mooring • The relative freeboard difference • Type and size of hose connections • Connection order of the manifolds 3. Transfer Area: The transfer area is determined by the local Port and approved by Authorities. The approaching bunker ship is to check and evaluate if the area is suitable for bunkering operations. The operation should be aborted if there are issues that can compromise a safe transfer. Points for consideration are: • Maneuvering space • Tidal conditions • Traffic density • Waves, swell and weather conditions 11
Definitions and Conditions 4. Weather Conditions: Weather and current forecast for the area should be studied before commencing bunkering operation. Each Master is responsible for his own ship and bunkering is only allowed when both Masters agree that ambient conditions (like wind and weather) are acceptable. Each Master is also responsible to determine restrictions and take actions in case of a sudden change of ambient conditions during a started bunker transfer. 5. Light Conditions: The bunkering operation is preferably to be conducted during daylight hours. It is necessary to have adequate lighting in case of mooring and bunkering operations after daylight hour. The minimum lighting requirements are the bunker ship deck, the receiving ship bunker station and the mooring bollards. 12
Safety 1. General Principles, LNG as Marine Fuel. 2. Definitions and Conditions. 3. Safety. 4. Operations, before during and after bunkering. 5. Cargo Systems and Equipment. 6. ESD and Emergency Procedures. 7. Training and Documentation. 13
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