Woodside Energy Ltd. (Woodside) has signed a five year charter contract with Norwegian company Siem Offshore Australia Pty Ltd to deliver its first LNG powered marine support vessel to Australia in 2017.
Woodside Chief Operations Officer, Mike Utsler, said the announcement positioned the company as an early adopter of LNG as a marine fuel in the region. “We’re thrilled to be the first company to bring one of these vessels to the southern hemisphere. Australia is on track to become the world’s largest producer of LNG, so it makes perfect sense to build dual fuel capabilities for our marine fleets here. Our LNG tankers use their cargo to power their engines, making them cleaner vessels that use less diesel.” he said.
Woodside’s new vessel will be greener, reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions and the reliance on imported diesel, while providing safe, reliable support to Woodside’s assets in the Exmouth and Pilbara regions. Woodside will continue to seek to expand the application of LNG fuelling in transportation in Western Australia. Dual fuel has an exciting future as it can be used to power a wide range of vessels.
Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle