Finnish patrol boat to test bio LNG fuel

The Finnish Border Guard is set to trial bio liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) as a fuel for one of its coastguard patrol vessels, the Turva, in an effort to reduce the service’s reliance on fossil fuels. The Turva is 96 meters long and is fitted with twin Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines and has been supported with a Wärtsilä maintenance agreement since its launch in 2014. Gasum, the Finnish state-owned biogas refiner will supply the bio LNG fuel.

Bio LNG is a 100% renewable fuel that can help reduce CO2 emissions over its lifecycle by up to 90% compared to conventional fuels. It emits no particulates and has close to zero nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide content. Wärtsilä says that close analysis of the specifications provided by Gasum make it confident that bio LNG represents a viable choice for the engines aboard the Turva.

“The strategy for the Border Guard’s fleet of patrol vessels is to switch to environmentally sustainable fuels wherever possible. Testing the bio LNG in the Turva is an important step forward in fulfilling this strategy,” said Commander Marko Aheristo from the Finnish Border Guard.

Juha Kytölä, R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä Marine Power, said, “Wärtsilä is investing heavily in the development of technology for alternative clean fuels that can drive decarbonisation throughout the shipping industry. We have developed our engine technology to be compatible with the use of such fuels. LNG is already broadly accepted as a viable marine fuel, and we see bio LNG as a natural next step. We are, therefore, extremely supportive of this testing program.”