Vanguard gas tanker helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions
HGK Shipping, part of the HGK Logistics Group, has developed a new gas tanker. It has unveiled a tanker design that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The move is part of the company’s vision to move towards green operations as required by climate targets.
HGK Shipping is the first company in Europe to develop such a vessel. The Vanguard gas carrier is a diesel-electric tanker for river and sea transport. It is designed to transport cold liquefied ammonia (NH3) and liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).
Vanguard is 125 metres long and 17.5 metres wide. Ideal for offshore operations, the tanker can also operate in river waters. This eliminates the need to transfer cargo from one vessel to another, allowing companies to optimise costs and increase transport efficiency. The Vanguard can transport NH3 from different European countries without additional operations. It can also deliver liquid carbon dioxide to subsea fields, for example, in the North Sea.
Project peculiarities
Specialists have carefully considered the issues of functionality and safety in the design of the gas tanker. The tanker is equipped with a sophisticated wind propulsion system (WAPS) for excellent ship stability. This type of propulsion system also ensures that resources are used as efficiently as possible during propulsion.
Company director Steffen Bauer sees excellent potential in the use of this type of transport. Its introduction into transport operations has a number of advantages for business development, including:
- adherence to decarbonisation principles;
- CO2 emissions reduction;
- the ability to transport goods in sea and river waters;
- voyages optimisation due to the absence of transhipment;
- reduction of downtime and delays caused by stopping in ports for transhipment.
It is also worth noting the relevance of gas tankers in the context of rising industry environmental standards. The drive towards carbon neutrality in Europe and other regions is driving the production and use of green fuels. With this in mind, there is a growing demand for capacity to transport liquefied ammonia and carbon dioxide. In this case, the Vanguard gas carrier is an ideal solution in terms of convenience and financial benefits.
In addition, a tanker can be an excellent alternative to the pipeline network, which is not available in all regions. A prime example is the Rhine, which has a well-developed barge network. However, there is no pipeline infrastructure, which makes it impossible to deliver raw materials.
HGK Shipping plans to develop the Vanguard project in the future to increase its productivity. So far, the gas carriers are still in the improvement phase of development, but the first of them will soon start transporting goods.
