The abbreviation LNG stands for liquefied natural gas, which, according to energy experts at Germanischer Lloyd, will increasingly be used as a yacht and ship fuel in the future.
The use of natural gas liquefied at temperatures below minus 160 degrees Celsius as an alternative fuel offers both ecological and economic advantages. LNG is sulphur-free and significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions thanks to its lower carbon content compared to marine diesel oil. In gas mode, yachts would even comply with the strict IMO Tier III emissions regulations, which do not come into force until 2016.
According to the experts, the use of LNG should also bring long-term cost benefits. For these reasons, the Finnish marine engine manufacturer Wärtsilä has developed a dual-fuel engine called 20DF, which allows the captain to switch flexibly between the different fuels LNG and LNG at any time,
diesel, heavy fuel oil or liquid biofuel - depending on the location, availability and bunker options. The Finns designed the drive units in such a way that if a bunker becomes empty, the gensets can automatically switch from one fuel to the next without reducing the engine power and therefore the speed.

Editor in Chief YACHT