DW fuel pump from Svanehøj will pump both LPG and ammonia

09-12-2020

Deepwell (DW) fuel pump from Svanehøj will pump both LPG and ammonia

A customised solution for a new LPG carrier demonstrates the flexibility of Svanehøj’s DW fuel pump, which is a true multigas pump.

LPG and ammonia (NH₃) will be handled by one and the same pump onboard a new 38,000 m³ LPG carrier, which is under construction at Hyundai Mipo for the energy group Empresas Nieto.

For this project, engineers from Svanehøj have designed a solution in which the DW fuel pumps will have dual functionality; supplying the main engine with LPG while also being capable of being used for sampling of ammonia and other cargoes.

“The engineers from Babcock LGE asked if it would be possible to use the ship’s fuel pumps for cargo sampling as well as traditional cargo operations so they could avoid installing a dedicated sampling pump. We made a few changes in material selection to enable the pump to handle all the cargoes that are typically shipped by LPG carriers, including ammonia and VCM,” says Key Account Manager Martin Andersen from Svanehøj.

He points out that this case is an excellent example of Svanehøj being a supplier that can develop customised solutions to meet customers’ specific needs. At the same time, it is a signal to the market that Svanehøj’s patented DW fuel pump is a future-proof investment, as it allows shipowners to change a ship’s fuel type according to changes in the market and technology.

“Our fuel pump enables ships to comply with both current and future requirements. The pump was developed for LNG, but is fully compatible with other liquid gas fuels, as well as future synthetic carbon-free electrofuels,” says Martin Andersen.

The Svanehøj deepwell pump is a steady, reliable pump, which is less sensitive to impurities in the gas and designed for a 25,000 hour / 5-year service interval. The pump is fitted with a foot valve retraction system, which means the pump can be serviced without having to empty the tank.