Himalaya’s LNG-fuelled bulk carrier wraps up sea trials

Himalaya Shipping’s new bulk carrier powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Mount Norefjell, has successfully completed its sea trials.

According to the company, the vessel is now only six weeks away from delivery, after which the ship will go on a charter with an undisclosed shipowner.

Mount Norefjell, together with its sister vessel Mount Ita, was launched at New Times Shipbuilding in China in November last year.

The 210,000 dwt ship is fitted with ABB’s shaft generators with a power-take-off (PTO) solution, comprising new drive systems and permanent magnet technology.

The equipment is anticipated to improve the energy efficiency of the vessels by up to 4 percent while saving about 20 percent of space onboard compared to a conventional solution, according to ABB.

Furthermore, MAN Energy Solution’s (MAN ES) ME-GI high-pressure LNG dual-fuel engine was installed, which in combination with in-line shaft generator offers low methane slip.

LNG has been described as a transitional fuel for the shipping industry for years now, and a practical solution for shipowners who want to act now on their emissions and not wait on the sidelines.

Both of the vessels feature scrubbers allowing them to run on high sulfur fuel oil as well as LNG and low sulfur fuel oil. The shipowner expects that the scrubber installation would increase the flexibility of the vessels and that the investment would be paid back in less than 1.5 years.

According to Himalaya Shipping, the design of the vessels will also allow for future conversion to next-generation fuels.

To remind, the company initially ordered twelve Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels at the Chinese shipyard. The LNG dual-fuel Newcastlemaxes are slated for delivery between Q2 2023 and Q4 2024.