LNG-powered ro/ro vessel runs aground

The roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Kvitbjorn, the first ship powered by liquefied natural gas-powered in Nor Lines’ fleet, grounded off the coast of Norway over the weekend.    The liquefied natural gas-powered roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Kvitbjorn ran aground Sunday off the coast of Ulsteinvik, Norway, according to reports from online media news outlet Splash 24/7.
   The 5,000-dwt Kvitbjorn grounded after abruptly changing course en route to the port city of Alesund, Norway from Ulsteinvik. It remained grounded until around 10pm, when it was freed and towed back to Ulsteinvik Port to for inspection.
   At this point, the cause of the grounding is still under investigation, but sources believe it was due to a mechanical failure. The Kvitbjorn sustained minor damage in the incident, but no leaks were reported and none of the 15 crew on board the vessel were injured as a result of the grounding.
   The Faroe Islands-flagged Kvitbjorn, operated by Nor Lines, is one of the first vessels to be powered by LNG and had only been in service for a few months. The Stavanger, Norway-based short sea liner shipping and logistics provider developed the vessel, along with a sister ship called Kvitnos to be deployed next month, in close cooperation with Rolls Royce and introduced it to the Nor Lines’ fleet back in April. Both ships were built in 2015 at Tsuji Heavy Industries Jiangsu in China.
   Some of the most environmentally-friendly cargo vessels in the world, the LNG-powered ships use 18 percent less energy than the vessels they are replacing, emit 38 percent less CO2, 90 percent less NOx and eliminate SOx emissions completely, according to Nor Lines.