OCTOBER 7, 2013 — Norway's Buksér og Berging has taken delivery of Borgøy, the world's first LNG-fueled escort tug, from Turkey's Sanmar Shipyard.

The tug is the first of two designed for long term service at Statoil's Kårstø gas terminal where it is scheduled to enter service next month after a series of sea trials.

The 38 m x 14.5 m tug has a bollard pull of 65 t. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Bergen C26:33L6PG engines fueled purely by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and two Rolls-Royce US35 azimuth thrusters.

The LNG system is designed by AGA Cryo and and integrated with the Rolls-Royce propulsion system.

The fuel system has been designed to minimize the space needed for installation.

The 86 cu.m tank is vertical, vacuum insulated and placed centrally in the tugboat. The cold box installation, containing all equipment needed to operate the system, contains two identical systems separated by a barrier wall. This duplication achieves the required 100% redundancy without the need for another separate tank unit.

According to Buksér og Berging, the environmental benefits of an LNG powered tug are:

• 92% reduced NOx emission
• 20% reduction of CO2 emissions
• 98% reduced particulates
• compliance with Tier III regulations

In addition, the new hull and propulsion system will achieve up to 20% higher thrust efficiency compared to standard designs.