A programme of silencer upgrade work on a total of fourteen ships regularly visiting South Hook LNG Terminal, part of the Qatargas 2 value chain, is now complete.
Working closely with Ship Owners and & Operators and Qatargas , South Hook has taken significant steps to address the concerns of local residents who feel disturbed by noise emanating from some of the ships berthing at the jetty. The Phases 1 & 2 of the upgrade programme, both of which completed earlier this year, included silencer upgrades on eight Q- Flex ships.
The third phase, which most recently completed, resulted in the upgrade of six Q-Max ships. This gives a total of fourteen ship- upgrades.
Three of the ships within this programme have recently returned to South Hook, – the Q Flex ships Al Gattara and Tembek, and the Q Max ship, Al Mayeda.
The visit of each of the three produced extremely positive results, with several residents acknowledging a significant improvement in noise levels following the completion of the upgrading programme.
The commitment to continue to address the noise issue squarely & thoroughly remains a priority for South Hook, the indvidual Ship Operating companies and Qatargas, with a South Hook Spokesperson commenting: “We understand that a few ships are a continuing cause of concern to some residents in the community.
Given this, we are continuing to work closely with the local Port Health Authority, the relevant Ship Operating companies and Qatargas. To date, significant progress has been made and as a result of on-going monitoring & expert evaluation of noise levels in the vicinity, we are confident that this highly positive trend will continue.”
[mappress]
Source: Qatargas, October 4, 2010