Cargo Business Techwire

Friday, April 17, 2015

Wärtsilä launches new fuel pump for LNG operations

Wärtsilä’s has announced a new gas pump — the Wärtsilä Svanehøj ECA Fuel Pump— developed with designers of liquefied natural gas fuel systems to support LNG-fuelled engines achieve greater efficiency.

The pump’s advantage, according to the statement, includes having no tank connections below liquid level, no electrical components inside the tank, and hardly any contribution to the generation of boil off gas. Wärtsilä says having less heat and pressure buildup in the fuel tank makes the new pump safe, while in harsher operating conditions it also maintains the pressure, thereby ensuring a continuous gas flow to the LNG fuelled engine.

The Wärtsilä Svanehøj ECA Fuel Pump is designed

to be compatible with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac fuel bunkering and supply system, and in accordance with regulations covering vessels operating in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The pump can also be used with other types of fuel, such as ethane and methanol.

"This new addition to our pump portfolio is one more important enabler for the use of LNG as a safe and viable marine fuel," says Henrik Sorensen, managing director, Wärtsilä Svanehøj. "The design is based on the company’s huge competence and depth of experience in pump technology, and will ensure a steady, safe, and reliable supply of gas to the engine regardless of weather or thermal conditions. Needless to say, it meets all the latest environmental and efficiency requirements."