Wessels “Wes Amelie” fiRst ContAineRshiP to be ConveRted to · PDF fileWessels...

Press Release

Wessels “Wes Amelie” fiRst ContAineRshiP to be ConveRted to lnG

Wessels Reederei Gmbh & Co. KGIndustriestr. 12-14 • 49733 Haren/Ems - Germany +49 (0)5932 501-74 • +49 (0)5932 501-11

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For the past two years, the Wessels Reederei, in collaboration with the main engine manufacturer MAN Diesel & Turbo and gas specialist TGW Marine Gas Engineering, investigated main engine conversion options for the propulsion system from heavy fuel oil to low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Last Thursday October 15th Wessels was honored by Enak Fer-lemann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure with a government grant in the seven-figures for retrofitting their container ship “WES AMELIE” (1,000 TEU), making the ship the first of its kind worldwide to be converted to an LNG propulsion system. Through the utilization of LNG, the pollutant emissions will be drastically reduced (sulfur oxide (SOx) apprx. >99%, nitrogen oxide (NOx) apprx. 90%, CO2 up to 20%).

Funding was provided through the federal program Mobility and Fuel Strategy which promotes the maritime use of LNGs as an envi-ronmentally friendly fuel.“For many years our shipping company has been committed to ‘Green Shipping’ - through the development and implementation of more efficient alternative propulsion systems. With the conversion to LNG we and our partners showcase our technical expertise and demonstrate practical environmental solutions for the merchant marine industry”, said Gerd Wessels, Managing Owner of Wessels Reederei GmbH.

The “WES AMELIE” is a modern, 1,000 TEU feeder vessel that was launched in 2011 and operates in the North and Baltic Seas. When selecting the vessel for conversion, special attention was paid to the scalability of the engineering services as well as the development costs, reducing significantly the costs for follow-up projects. The “WES AMELIE” has 23 sister ships, 16 of them structurally identical, which allows follow-up projects to be easily implemented. This ship therefore faci-litates a multiplier effect, with sufficient quantities of conversion capable vessels on the European continent.The use of LNG as fuel requires the availability of liquefied natural gas on shipping and trade routes. The existing LNG in-frastructure (liquefaction plants, storage capacity, bunker facilities) in even high-traffic ports is not nearly sufficient enough for full coverage of ships under LNG operation.

The BMVI funded project contributes to the resolution of this “chicken or the egg problem” by promoting the demand for LNG as fuel for the maritime industry, through a demand-generating flagship project Due to the long delivery time of LNG tanks the rebuilding will commence in Q4 2016. Full operational usage of LNG as fuel is planned for early December 2016.

l.t.r.: Christian Peter Hoepfner Wessels Reederei, Dr. Hans J. Gätjens Bureau Veritas, Dr. Thomas Spindler MAN SE, Enak Ferlemann Parlamentarischer Staatssekretär BMVI, Tessa Rodewaldt Maritime LNG Plattform, Dr. Klaus Die-ter Gerdsmeyer TGE Marine Gas Engineering, Gerd Wessels Wessels Reederei, Stefan Eefting MAN SE, Helge Pols BMVI, Achim Wehrmann BMVI

“By converting one of our ships, we demonstrate together with the Federal Government and our partners: ‘German shipping can LNG’. With each rebuild we finish together, we are creating an increasing demand for LNG as a clean fuel. Only in this way - and not only through appeals - can the development of an LNG infra-structure continue to gain momentum”, said Christian P. Hoepfner, General Manager of Wessels Reederei, demonstrating his resolve at the federal ministry today.

Parliamentary State Secretary Enak Ferlemann adds: “With this funding measure, the federal government continues its steady contribution to the development of an efficient LNG infrastructure in Germany. Our goal with this new technology is to significantly reduce the CO2 and pollutant emissions at sea. With the LNG con-version already integrated in ships currently in service, in collabo-ration with the maritime sector, we provide an important impulse for the development of ‘Made in Germany’ LNG technology.”

For further information and technical details concerning the conversion of “WES AMELIE” to LNG operation, please refer to our enclosed press kit. Additional press kits can be obtained upon request.

For more information concerning this and other projects, please contact:

Gerd Wessels Christian P. Hoepfner Managing Owner General Manager

Phone: +49 (0)5932 501-39 Phone: +49 (0)5932 501-52 Mobile: +49 (0)172 4512600Mail: [email protected] Mail: [email protected]

About Wessels Reederei

With a current fleet of 43 ships, Wessels Reederei is one of the largest managers of coastal vessels. 33 coasters, 4 con-tainer and 6 multipurpose vessels comprise our fleet portfolio. The company employs a staff of 45 at its Haren/Ems headquarters.The optimization of fuel consumption and pollutant emission has always been an integral component of our business philosophy. The initiatives range from the establishment of emissions optimization measures, software implementati-on to increase energy efficiency and the development of alternative propulsion systems.


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l.t.r.: Christian P. Hoepfner, Enak Ferlemann, Gerd Wessels

the vessel: „Wes Amelie“

selective criteria

• 1.036 TEU, established size• year of construction 01/12, thereby updated latest unit on market• optimized for 45‘ container, with a high acceptance on charter market• German - Dutch design• 16 identical units in Europe• MAN 8L48/60B is a predestined main engine for modification• This type of engine has been installed 82 times worldwide• Charterer are interested in a „SSW 1000 DF“ variant


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Class Notation

BV + 1 HULL AND MACH INWATER SURVEY AUT – UMS ICE 1A CONTAINERSHIP (EQUAL FINISH-SWEDISH)

Engines/Propulsion

Engine: MAN 8L48/60 B / 9.000kw / 500rpmAux Gen: 3 x 570KWeShaft Gen: 1.700KWPropeller: CPPBow Thruster: 800KW

Main Parameter

DWAT: 13.200mtGT/NT: 10.585mt / 4.958mtLoa: 151,72mBeam: 23,40m

CapacitiesTEU Cap.: 1.036 TEU45‘ Cap.: 403 units14ton Cap.: 740 units

Speed and ConsumptionSpeed: 18,5kn on about 37,5mt HFOEco Speed: 13,0kn on about 23,4mt HFOPort Cons.: 1,75mt MGO


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the vessel: „Wes Amelie“

technical data

fact sheet for lnG Conversion of out Container ship „Wes Amelie“

Wessels Reederei has long been committed to „Green Shipping“. Our recent initiatives range from the establishment of propulsion improvement measures to software implementation, the increase of energy efficiency and the development of alternative propulsion systems.

Our newest project dedicated to environmental protection in maritime transport is the transformation of our container ship „WES AMELIE“ to eco-friendly LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) operation - the world‘s first LNG conversion of a contai-ner ship.

The following fact sheet will show the background, tasks and objectives of this project.

1. LNG - FLyiNG THE FLAG : FiRST STEPS - iNiTiAL REquiREMENTS

1.1 First StepsFor the past two years, Wessels Reederei and the leading machine manufacturer MAN Diesel & Turbo along with TGE Marine Gas Engineering, have been collaborating on a possible conversion of the power units of 1,000 TEU container ships from heavy oil to low-emission LNG operation.

Due to the 2015 directive of exhaust emissions by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the ECA areas (Emission Controlled Area) North and Baltic Seas, a gradual transition to low-emission propulsion or emission controlled shipping systems is now a main priority of the shipping industry. The installation of an emission control system (scrubber), which allows the use of heavy fuel oil, also in ECA zones, has been studied extensively by Wessels Reederei. Upon closer examination, however, we have opted for conversion to LNG operation. Scrubbers have a markedly poorer environmental performance compared to LNG - and they extend the continued use of heavy fuel oil. Therefore, Wessels Reederei has concluded that the course should be set toward environmentally friendly fuels such as LNG.

Together with our partners, MAN Diesel & Turbo and TGE Marine Gas Engineering, the technical feasibility of an LNG conversion was analyzed in detail and positively evaluated for our 1,000 TEU container ships.

An important challenge of the LNG conversion lies unquestionably in financing. It is considerably more expensive and more complicated than the installation of an exhaust gas treatment system / scrubber. In addition to our own capital - at least for the initial conversion projects - an external investment is of fundamental importance.

1.2 initial RequirementsWith the support of MAN, we persuasively presented a concrete LNG modification project at BMVI. As a result, Wessels Reederei has received official approval for the project from BMVI on 10/15/2015.

An important goal of the project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using LNG in shipping. At the same time, the project will strengthen the demand of LNG, therefore stimulating the still insufficient LNG infrastructure.


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2. FuLL STEAM AHEAD : THE SHiP – THE CoNvERSioN

2.1 The ShipWhen selecting the vessel, explicit attention was paid to achieving a substantial multiplier effect, meaning that possible follow-up projects benefit from this first conversion. Therefore, the „WES AMELIE“, a 1,000 TEU feeder container ship, was selected for modification. This young ship was built as part of a larger series, the rest of which are in service primarily in European feeder traffic. 16 identical sister ships are available for the exact same LNG conversion. The MAN manufac-tured main engines on all 16 ships have been successfully converted to LNG using numerous land generator versions. Thus valuable practical experience and expertise has been collected in advance of the subsequent conversions.

But even naval units of other shipping companies will benefit from the practical experience collected during this pilot project. With every new modification, the economic strength of all future conversions will increase. The budget can be successively and significantly reduced for further LNG conversion, eventually making long-term, external financial support obsolete.

2.2 The Conversion – Timetable, Technical Details and Partners

2.2.1 The TimetableThe conversion of the vessel will be carried out by a German shipyard. The bidding process is currently running. The con-version of the „WES AMELIE“ will take 30 days to complete followed by a test run of about 5 days. The launching of the LNG capable vessel is scheduled for early December 2016.

2.2.2 The Technical DetailsThe propulsion system of the container ship will be converted to „dual fuel operation“. That is: In the SECA zone, instead of heavy fuel oil (and exhaust gas treatment system / scrubber) or marine diesel oil, the use of LNG as the main fuel are made possible. For this purpose, an extensive reconstruction of the entire main engine plant and the installation of an LNG tank are required.

With the upgrading of the main engine to LNG operation, the ship meets the emission requirements by the IMO for nitro-gen oxides and sulfur oxides. In addition, a significant reduction in particulate emissions and CO2 emissions is achieved. Thus, the ship also the meets the future stringent Tier III emissions legislation by the IMO, whose primary aim is the reduc-tion of nitrogen oxides by 80% by the year 2016.

The conversion will be carried out in cooperation with the engine manufacturer MAN Diesel & Turbo and TGE Marine Engineering. The following are the planned detailed measures:

Selected engine and system components are scheduled for delivery in order to convert the previously heavy fuel oil engines to liquid and gaseous fuels.


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Engine-wise, essentially all components of the combustion chamber and their attachments are to be replaced: cylinder liner including water cooling jacket, pistons, piston rings and cylinder head. This is due to the increase in cylinder bore of 48 cm to 51 cm. Furthermore, injection components will be replaced or added. The pilot oil system necessary for gas operation will be completely rebuilt. To allow for the changed ignition timing with a 51 / 60DF engine, new valve cams and a new turbocharger rotor assembly are supplied. Steering the multi-fuel engine DF 51/60 is more complex than the original run-ning on heavy fuel oil. This makes a conversion of the engine sensors and new instrumentation necessary. Approximately 30 tons of material in total are required for the conversion of the engine.

MAN will also deliver the gas control and pilot oil modules, components necessary for gas operation.

2.2.3 The PartnersAlongside Wessels Reederei, the nautical / technical support for the project and appropriate specialists (mechanical engi-neers, technical engineers and navigators) will be provided by the following partners:

MAN Diesel & Turbo:The main engine of the vessel, type 8L48 / 60 B, was manufactured by MAN Diesel & Turbo. The conversion must be car-ried out by the manufacturer of the drive system since only the manufacturer can supply the required conversion package. MAN Diesel & Turbo will provide both the required engineering along with the necessary upgrading components.

Bureau veritas (Bv): The ship has been classified by the BV during the construction phase. BV is currently the classification society for the ship. It will accompany the upgrade and will oversee in accordance with the regulations and restrictions for ship operational safety and is responsible for the final inspection, certification and technical approval.

SMB Naval Architects & Consultants:SMB is the engineering company that will provide the necessary calculations and blueprints for the conversion and installation.

TGE Marine Gas Engineering: TGE will provide the tank and required LNG periphery between the tank and the main engine.

Still open (bidding is still running):A shipyard that, with the support of subcontractors, is able to deliver the required steel works and pipe fitting.

3. STAy THE CouRSE : DEMAND CREATES iNFRASTRuCTuRE

The expansion of LNG in the maritime industry suffers from a well-known „phenomenon“ that appears in other areas of shipping as well: the so-called „chicken or the egg“ problem. Applied to the case of LNG this means: without current de-mand, there will be no reliable LNG infrastructure (or market) - and vice versa. For both sides, the financial incentive is too low and the business risk is too high.


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The consequence: The currently existing LNG infrastructure (liquefaction plants, storage facilities, bunker facilities) is insufficient, even in high-traffic ports, for comprehensive coverage of ships (so far). As long as the advantages of LNG conversion cannot be adequately realized due to insufficient supply of LNG, shipowners in the currently tense market phase will not be willing to bear the full investment risk.

Therefore, one important goal of our current LNG project is to provide the necessary impulses for creating a solid demand for LNG and hence driving demand for the establishment of a robust LNG infrastructure (logistically and regulatory).

We are convinced that the gradual conversion of naval units currently in service will stimulate demand for LNG and thus the absolutely necessary expansion of LNG infrastructure throughout the delivery industry.

With the conversion of the „WES AMELIE“ and together with our project partners and the federal government, we want to make a practical contribution to the expansion of environmentally friendly LNG in the maritime industry.

For more information concerning this and other projects, please contact:

Gerd Wessels Christian P. Hoepfner Managing Owner General Manager

Phone: +49 (0)5932 501-39 Phone: +49 (0)5932 501-52 Mobile: +49 (0)172 4512600Mail: [email protected] Mail: [email protected]

About Wessels Reederei

With a current fleet of 43 ships, Wessels Reederei is one of the largest managers of coastal vessels. 33 coasters, 4 con-tainer and 6 multipurpose vessels comprise our fleet portfolio. The company employs a staff of 45 at its Haren/Ems headquarters.The optimization of fuel consumption and pollutant emission has always been an integral component of our business philosophy. The initiatives range from the establishment of emissions optimization measures, software implementati-on to increase energy efficiency and the development of alternative propulsion systems.


[email protected]

Wessels Reederei GmbH & Co. KGIndustriestr. 12-14 • 49733 Haren/Ems - Germany +49 (0)5932 501-74 • +49 (0)5932 501-11

[email protected]

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