Wärtsilä nets LNG reliquefaction retrofit deal with NFE-Apollo JV

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has secured a contract to supply the reliquefaction system for a retrofit project on an LNG carrier converted to operate as a floating storage unit (FSU).

The order, which was booked by Wärtsilä in March 2023, is for vessel Energos Grand owned by US-based Energos Infrastructure, a joint venture between New Fortress Energy (NFE) and Apollo. The vessel is being chartered by NFE.

Wärtsilä said the equipment is scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2024 and it will allow the boil-off-gas (BOG) from the LNG onboard to be reliquefied and returned to the cargo tanks rather than being wasted.

The solution contributes to a significant reduction in emissions and creates cost savings, as well as optimizing the LNG cargo level, the technology company added.

“This project shows New Fortress Energy’s and Energos’ commitment to improving the environmental profile of their fleet, and we are happy to once again be shown the trust of these partners in this conversion project. Our robust and reliable Compact Reliq technology is a perfect match for such applications. It combines cost-efficiency with low maintenance to deliver a solid environmental and commercial return,” commented Pål Steinnes, Head of Sales and Business Development Midstream, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

“Wärtsilä’s experience and expertise in LNG reliquefaction and gas handling are well known and we had no hesitation in selecting their equipment and services for this project”, said Tim Twomey, Senior Vice President Fleet Technical, Energos Infrastructure. “We are therefore glad to again team up with Wärtsilä as a critical partner for our conversion projects, and view their reliability and robust technology as an important factor to proceed with this project.”

NFE and Appollo formed a joint venture named Energos Infrastructure in 2022, establishing the platform that owns and operates eleven LNG infrastructure vessels. The vessel portfolio comprises six floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), three floating storage units and two LNG carriers.

The platform is owned approximately 80% by Apollo-managed funds and 20% by NFE.