The innovative LNG hybrid barge was christened in a ceremony held this past Saturday in Hamburg, Germany

Oct 20, 2014 17:53 GMT  ·  By

In a ceremony held in Hamburg, Germany, this past Saturday, a floating LNG (liquefied natural gas) power plant was officially given the name The Hummel, which translates as the Bumblebee.

The LNG hybrid barge, a photo of which is available next to this article, is the brainchild of Germany-based Becker Marine Systems. Apparently, it is the first vessel of its kind.

What will this LNG hybrid barge do?

As detailed by Becker Marine Systems, the floating LNG power plant is expected to provide power to cruise ships docked in the Port of Hamburg. In doing so, the vessel should help improve local air quality.

This is because, when compared to the marine diesel fuel cruise ships usually rely on, liquefied natural gas causes less pollution when used as an energy source, World Maritime News explains.

More precisely, it produces 80% and 30% less nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide, respectively, and releases no sulfur oxides and soot particles whatsoever. Hence, local air quality should improve to a considerable extent once the barge becomes operational.

“The LNG hybrid barge will contribute towards making the air in Hamburg significantly cleaner,” Dirk Lehmann and Henning Kuhlmann, both managing directors of Becker Marine Systems, told the press in an interview.

In case anyone was wondering, the barge measures 77 meters (252 feet) in length and 11 meters (36 feet) in width. It was built at a shipyard in Slovakia, and took three weeks to reach Hamburg.

When will the barge become operational?

It is understood that, after being christened, the floating LNG power plant was connected to AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol cruise ship and successfully delivered power to it. Should things go according to plan, the barge will officially get to work sometime in the first few months of 2015.

Commenting on this partnership with Becker Marine Systems, AIDA President Michael Ungerer said, “With the LNG hybrid barge, we have again demonstrated that environmental protection and economic interests are not a contradiction for us.”

Furthermore, “With this pilot project, Becker Marine Systems and AIDA Cruises are together setting an example for environmental and climate protection, not only for the city of Hamburg but also for the entire maritime industry.”

Interestingly enough, it appears that, now that The Hummel has officially been christened and is getting ready to get to work powering cruise ships, the Port of Hamburg can take pride in being the first place Becker Marine Systems has until now deployed an external and low-emission power supply for ships.