Bergen LNG awarded classification from Bureau Veritas

Classification society Bureau Veritas has classed Bergen Tankers’ Bergen LNG, Norway’s first LNG bunkering ship.

Bergen LNG is born from the conversion of the 2010 built oil tanker Oslo Tank in order to carry LNG instead of conventional liquid marine fuels.

This was announced in August 2019 as part of Bergen Tankers’ long-term charter with Gasnor. The conversion took place at Westcon Shipyards in Florø, Norway.

The vessel will be operated by Gasnor (Shell) in the Bergen area and on the Norwegian west coast to supply the LNG fuelled passenger ships operated by Hurtigruten and Kystruten.

Bureau Veritas has supported the project to ensure that the conversion could be performed in compliance with the requirements of the International Gas Carrier Code (IGC Code) in regard to stability and navigational safety.

Gijsbert de Jong, marine chief executive for Bureau Veritas’ Nordic region, said: “Over the past years, we have gained a lot of experience with conversion projects in the Nordic region. Our local plan approval capabilities and experienced surveyor team are a significant asset to our clients. In this respect, the Bergen LNG project stands out in terms of technical complexity and customer service.”

Ingemar Tønder Presthus, technical & marine manager for Bergen Tankers, added: “BV has been an important partner throughout this extensive and demanding project – first in the design phase to identify the regulatory framework, and later with the follow-up at the shipyard. The BV team in Norway has been a strong support for us during the project execution as they could mobilise people at short notice and showed flexibility when plans needed to be changed. Their expertise has been an important factor in the success of the project.”