Berit Vincentz Andersen, Svitzer, Denmark, outlines how the towing of LNG carriers in challenging conditions requires the best people, equipment, and a focus on safety.
Figure 1. Svitzer tugs servicing the LNG terminal in Bangladesh.
W
ith roots stretching back nearly two centuries, global towage provider Svitzer is not only a company with a history, but a company with a strong heritage. Part of that heritage and part of the company’s DNA is doing difficult things in difficult places – be it port towage or oil and gas terminal towage, where Svitzer is involved in some of the most prestigious projects around the world and has long-term contracts with leading companies in the industry. LNG is an important fuel used worldwide and its use has surged exponentially over the last decade or so. In line with this, Svitzer’s experience with LNG projects has grown. Today, Svitzer’s LNG footprint has expanded to cover 18 operations in
11 countries, with a fleet of 102 vessels performing a multitude of services such as berthing and unberthing, pilotage, supporting ship-to-ship transfer, crew transfer, supply services, assistance with maintenance of an LNG terminal, channel buoy maintenance, safety and security standby, emergency response, and firefighting. The services provided vary from operation to operation and are tailor made to meet the customer’s specific needs as well as the conditions of the location in question – for instance whether it is a land-based import or export LNG terminal, a floating LNG terminal, or an FSRU. However, a common denominator for operating LNG terminals is that reliability,
25
