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The 25.000 DWT product tanker Bit Viking will be converted to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will then be the first ship with Germanischer Lloyd (GL) class using gas as fuel. The ship will we retro-fitted with a dual fuel Wärtsilä engine. Sea trials are planned for May 2011.

With two 500-cubic metre (cbm) tanks the vessel will have a range of 12 days. It is owned by Tarbit Shipping and operated by Statoil along the Norwegian coastline. The conversion will enable the vessel to qualify for lower NOX emission taxes under the Norwegian government's NOX fund scheme.

The Bit Viking has twin screw propulsion, with each screw currently powered by a 6-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 46 engine running on heavy fuel oil (HFO). The conversion involves changing these to 6-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines that will operate on LNG.

The ship is built with double engine rooms, propellers, steering gears, rudders and control systems. After conversion, for which Tarbit Shipping chose Wärtsilä, the ‘Bit Viking' will be one of the most environmentally friendly 25,000-tonne product tankers in the world.

"The use of LNG could reduce carbon emissions by 23%, with even bigger reductions of 80% in NOx and 92% in SOx emissions", said Pierre Sames at GL's press conference during the SMM yesterday. "Using gas as a fuel can be one of the major contributors to meeting emissions targets."

GL has issued guidelines for gas as ship fuel on the application of the IMO regulations. These guidelines are in force since 1 May and apply to all ships excluding liquefied gas tankers.

The internal combustion engine installations subject to the IMO interim guidelines may be single-fuel (i.e. natural gas) or dual-fuel (gas and fuel oil) machines, and the natural gas may be stored in gaseous or liquid state. The guidelines are to be applied in conjunction with the relevant provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and the Protocol of 1988 relating thereto, as amended.