ship.energy

HGK unveils new hybrid gas tanker design

German company HGK Shipping has launched the Vanguard, a cutting-edge river-seagoing gas tanker designed to adapt to the evolving marine fuels sector.

The Vanguard, which is 125 metres long and 17.5 metres wide, is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system. It combines a diesel-electric engine that is ‘future-fuel-ready’ with a Wind Assisted Propulsion System (WAPS).

The company plans for the new vessel to offer a solution for transporting new fuels like liquefied ammonia (NH3) and capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2). Upon completion Vanguard would be Europe’s first vessel capable of carrying cold liquefied ammonia and liquefied CO2 across both inland waterways and coastal waters, according to a press release from the company.

With the new design HGK is hoping to eliminate the need for transhipment at seaports, potentially allowing for direct transportation from coastal regions to inland destinations.

‘The Vanguard offers industry additional capacity to safely and sustainably transport liquefied ammonia and carbon dioxide from Scandinavia as far as the Iberian Peninsula,’ said Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping.

HGK Shipping plans expand its fleet with new vessels based on the Vanguard model.

Image: HGK

Tom Barlow-Brown