Navigator Aurora vessel to carry ethane for Borealis in Sweden
Borealis, the Austria-based provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, held a naming ceremony on May 3 for their new state-of-the-art vessel, Navigator Aurora. The company signed a contract with Navigator Gas for the long-term time charter of the vessel. Navigator Gas is the owner of the Navigator Aurora and operator of the world’s largest fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers. The new vesselwas christened by Irene Giner-Reichl, Austrian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China.
The agreement is significant in ensuring the cost effective, safe and reliable transport of ethane to Borealis production facilities in Stenungsund, Sweden. Navigator Aurora will be the world’s largest ethane carrier after its commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2016. With a length of 180 m, the newly-built Navigator Aurora has a total cargo tank size of 35,000 cubic meters (cbm) and can hold ethane loads of up to 20,000 tons, making it the biggest ethane-capable vessel serving the global market.
The vessel will sail between the Marcus Hook refinery in Pennsylvania, US, and Stenungsund. As a dual-fuel vessel, it can run on both diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG), meaning it can meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations and take advantage of the current low prices of natural gas.Commercial operations are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.
“This state-of-the-art vessel is key to our efforts to secure a safe, cost-efficient and reliable supply of ethane for Borealis operations over the long term,” states Markku Korvenranta, Borealis Executive Vice President Base Chemicals. “We are pleased to have gained such an experienced partner with Navigator Gas. This project and the related investments underline our commitment to further strengthen our monomer position in Europe.”
In the meantime, the currently ongoing, multi-million investment in the cracker upgrade and the construction of an ethane storage tank in Borealis’ location in Stenungsund is proceeding according to plan. The commissioning of a new unloading and storage facility will begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Source: Borealis Group