Padmesh Prabhune –
Inland Barge Designed to Transport Ammonia and Extract LCO2
HGK Group (Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln),a Cologne, Germany-based inland shipping company operating fleet of about 350 vessels, has developed an inland vessel concept that for the first time combines the two critical gas states to transport a range of materials, including ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier as well as CO2 from carbon capture operations.
Called Pioneer, the concept would accommodate significantly larger volumes than current gas tankers. The future-oriented tank and loading system technology would do away with the elaborate handling processes currently required at ports.
According to HGK, the technology which is suited both for coastal and inland shipping can play a critical part in developing the supply and disposal infrastructure to achieve sustainability goals.
The Pioneer would be 443 feet (135 meters) long and 57 feet (17.5 meters) wide, giving it a significant capacity. It will have six tanks that could load ammonia in a cold liquefied state. Currently, transporting ammonia requires pressurization. The Pioneer would be capable of transporting liquefied ammonia held at temperatures as low as minus 33 Celsius. In addition, the system would permit the vessel to load captured CO2 in a liquefied state and transport it from the inland locations where it is being captured to the coastal seaports for long-term storage or reuse.
Explaining the concept, Steffen Bauer, the CEO of HGK Shipping said, “Thanks to this innovative type of vessel, we’re already paving the way to meet the logistical requirements for sustainable inland waterway shipping.”
Bauer stated that the concept was created to provide the market with efficient alternatives using inland waterway shipping as a mode of transportation to support the green transition.
“The innovative tank and loading system for this special type of vessel is the result of intense development work in cooperation with international partners in the world of marine shipping and at our design center,” says Tim Gödde, the Business Unit Director Ship Management at HGK Shipping.
“The technical innovations, which we’ve already used for previous new vessels, such as a diesel-electric drive concept and the shallow-water design, will also be integrated in this new type of model.”, he added.
Marex Media