Shipowners choose Svanehøj pumps for LNG-fuelled car carriers

In recent years, car manufacturers have been investing heavily in reducing CO₂ emissions from their production, and shipping companies are now following suit to offer more climate-friendly maritime transport. 

According to figures from the classification society DNV, there are currently only 9 LNG-powered car carriers in operation worldwide. However, that number will increase tenfold over the next few years, with a further 94 LNG-powered car carriers on order by mid-2022.

Unique benefits: Deepwell pumps gain market share

Marine pump specialist Svanehøj is already seeing increasing interest from the car carrier segment. Svanehøj has already delivered its patented deepwell fuel pump solutions for 9 LNG-fuelled car carriers and has signed orders for fuel pumps for a further 10 carriers.

Previously, submersible pumps were the dominant technology for fuel pumps on very large ships, but in the car carrier segment, deepwell pumps are now chosen for about half of the new ships. According to Markus Tauriainen, Sales Director (Fuel) at Svanehøj, this is due to shipping companies placing a particularly strong focus on reliability and maintainability. Svanehøj offers a pump technology that is known and recognised for its robust design, reliability, and long service intervals. Patented design features – the static seal and the foot valve system – allow the pump to be serviced and extracted even with gas still left in the tank.

“Car carriers operate long overseas routes and need stable fuel systems to meet the requirements set by car manufacturers in terms of CO₂ emissions. Our pumping technology offers some unique benefits that shipowners increasingly prefer. At the same time, we have solved the challenges that have been seen with submersible pumps that have difficulty handling impurities in the LNG, resulting in clogged fuel filters and possible damage to the pumps,” says Markus Tauriainen.

A smaller version of the well-proven cargo pump

Svanehøj’s fuel pump is a long-shafted cryogenic deepwell, multistage centrifugal pump, which was launched in 2016. It is described as a smaller version of Svanehøj’s well-proven deepwell cargo pump for gas, which has been installed on more than 1,100 gas carriers since the 1960s. All the benefits of the larger cargo gas pump have been retained in the deepwell fuel pump, ensuring stability, optimized performance, high reliability, and long service intervals.

The Svanehøj deepwell pump design eliminates excess heat and pressure, as all sensitive components; the electric motor, seals and bearing systems, are placed outside the tank. This also reduces maintenance costs. The Svanehøj deepwell pump is built to achieve an operational reliability standard of 5 years/25,000 hours between service.

The Svanehøj deepwell pump is fitted with a patented static seal. When activated, the inner magnet coupling part and the main pump bearing, as well as the oil filter can all be accessed, dismantled, serviced, or replaced without having to extract the pump. The Svanehøj deepwell pump design also features a patented foot valve system, which makes it possible to extract the pump and perform a complete service – regardless of tank content and liquid level inside the tank. To many customers, this is a decisive factor, as the pumps can be serviced immediately without having to empty the tank.

The Svanehøj deepwell pump enables a ship to comply with both current and future requirements, as the pump is fully compatible with all types of liquid gas fuels, including LNG, LPG, green ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen.

Want to know more?

Visit the fuel gas solutions section at the Svanehøj website for more info.