OREANDA-NEWS. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has taken delivery of Asia’s first tugboat Hai Yang Shi You 525, designed to operate solely on liquefied natural gas as ship’s fuel.

Hai Yang Shi You 525, the first of two tugs built by the Zhenjiang shipyard for CNOOC, features a propulsion package based on twin Rolls-Royce Bergen C26:33L9PG engines and a pair of highly reliable Rolls-Royce US 205 CP azimuth thrusters to ensure the tugs have rapid manoeuvring and strong bollard pull capabilities.

A successful sea trial has proven an extra gain for both ship speed and bollard pull.

Richard Wang, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Commercial Marine, said: “We are proud to be powering Asia’s first gas-powered tug so shortly after delivering Borg?y, the world’s first LNG-powered tug, to Norwegian owner Buks?r og Berging.

“This order marks a new era for tugboat propulsion technology in China. As its shipbuilding industry shifts focus from standard designs to more sophisticated tonnage, more owners and operators will see the benefit of using cleaner, more efficient fuelling solutions for their vessels.”

John Knudsen, Rolls-Royce, President – Commercial Marine, said: “We congratulate CNOOC and the Zhenjiang shipyard on the completion of Asia’s first gas-powered tug. China is one of the world’s largest importers of natural gas and already has the LNG infrastructure in place. This is a pioneering project in Asia and its success has been dependent on the excellent cooperation between CNOOC, Shanghai Bestway Engineering, Zhenjiang Shipyard and Rolls-Royce.”

The decision to operate on LNG follows the Chinese government’s 2011 plan to strengthen its maritime base with the manufacture of high-end, ecologically-efficient ships and technology.

The Bergen C26:33 gas engines reduce CO2 emissions by 25 per cent and NOx emissions by up to 90 per cent. Oxides of sulphur and particulate are also removed, minimising emissions along coasts and inland waterways.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

  1. Rolls-Royce’s vision is to create better power for a changing world via two main business divisions, Aerospace and Land & Sea. These business divisions address markets with two strong technology platforms, gas turbines and reciprocating engines. Aerospace comprises Civil Aerospace and Defence Aerospace. Land & Sea comprises Marine, Nuclear and Power Systems.
  2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 120 countries, comprising more than 380 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 4,000 marine customers including 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
  3. Our business is focused on the 4Cs:
  • Customer – placing the customer at the heart of our business
  • Concentration – deciding where to grow and where not to
  • Cost – continually looking to increase efficiency
  • Cash – improving financial performance.
  • Annual underlying revenue was ?14.6 billion in 2014, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services. The firm and announced order book stood at ?73.7 billion at the end of 2014.
  • In 2014, Rolls-Royce invested ?1.2 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 31 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.
  • Rolls-Royce employs over 54,000 people in more than 50 countries. Over 15,500 of these are engineers.
  • The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills. In 2014 we employed 354 graduates and 357 apprentices through our worldwide training programmes. Globally we have over 1,000 Rolls-Royce STEM ambassadors who are actively involved in education programmes and activities; we have set ourselves a target to reach 6 million people through our STEM outreach activities by 2020.