ORLEN’s LNG carrier Grażyna Gęsicka reaches Poland

July 3, 2023, by Aida Čučuk

The second vessel of the fleet of gas carriers being built for the ORLEN Group has arrived at the port in Świnoujście, Poland, with a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The vessel Grażyna Gęsicka delivered some 65,000 tons of LNG loaded at the Freeport terminal in the United States (U.S.).

Daniel Obajtek, CEO and President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board, commented: “Well-diversified directions and sources of energy commodity supplies and the ability to freely control transport logistics are all guarantors of our energy security. By having our own fleet of vessels, we will be able to ensure the stability of LNG supplies to Poland, while increasing the Group’s operational flexibility.”

To remind, the carrier Grażyna Gęsicka was built at Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyards in South Korea. Like the other vessels built to the order of the ORLEN Group, it measures some 300 meters and can carry loads equivalent to about 105 mcm of regasified LNG.

According to ORLEN, it is equipped with solutions enhancing its energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact, including a system for integrated management of electricity consumption.

The shape of the ship’s hull and propeller was optimized at the design stage for reduced drag and the air lubrication system (ALS) technology was used to reduce resistance between the ship’s hull and seawater, ORLEN said, adding that the vessel’s hydrodynamic profile was refined to lower fuel combustion during its operation.

The Group further noted that the design also includes a reliquefaction system to recover LNG that naturally evaporates during transport, and the effectiveness of the process is further enhanced thanks to the robust insulation of the LNG tank.

ORLEN’s fleet of gas carriers is set to consist of a total of eight vessels, that are expected to be used both to service long-term contracts of the ORLEN Group for LNG deliveries from the US, and also to transport cargo purchased on the spot market.