Greek shipping company Dynagas has received two new dual fuel-powered liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, Arctic Aurora and Yenisei River, from South Korean ship builder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), as part of its plan to support a cleaner environment.
The Greek maritime transportation firm will also receive five other LNG vessels equipped with energy-efficient variable-speed electrical power and propulsion systems, built by GE Power Conversion, by the end of 2015.
For each vessel, GE will provide a fully integrated power and propulsion package that includes an MV7000-series induction motor, alternator, converter, transformers and switchboard.
GE Power Conversion will fully test each package on a real-time simulator (RTS) at its Power and Control Integration System Centre of Excellence (PCIS COE) in Belfort, France, before shipping for installation by HHI at its shipyard in Ulsan, Korea. HHI has been a long-term customer of GE.
Dynagas new building project team manager Manos Migadis said that the company recognises its responsibilities to the industry to deliver its service in a safe, reliable and economically competitive manner.
"The goal of the company, the LNG shipping arm of the George Prokopiou group, is to grow in size and reputation and expand its ability to serve the industry," Migadis added.
GE, which supplied 37 electrical power and propulsion systems for LNG carriers since 2006, claims that its MV7000 drive technology is about 30% more efficient than steam-based mechanical power and is currently used across a broad range of applications and industries.
GE Power Conversion marine business leader Paul English said, "Earlier vessels have been equipped with steam propulsion, so we are very happy that HHI, which is a long-term customer of GE and a strong advocate of our induction motor-based systems, has convinced Dynagas of the merit of our technology."
