MTTS bunkering implemented at Spanish port

At the Port of Valencia, Baleària Group has implemented a MTTS system, in which several tanks operate simultaneously to supply fuel to a ship. After carrying out successful testing of this system, the shipping company will use this new method daily, with the approval of the port.

To effectively use the MTTS system, the shipping company uses a collector manufactured by Kosan Crinsplant, which was optimised for this specific operation by the Valencian engineering Cotenaval, as well as tanks from logistics company ESK.

During the test, natural gas has been supplied to the Hypatia de Alejandría de Baleària, which has two LNG storage tanks with a volume of 330 m3 and currently covers the route between Valencia, Ibiza and Palma.

The transfer speed with this system ranges between 80 and 120 m3/h, depending on the pumping characteristics of the tanks used. In the bunkering carried out on 29 December, two simultaneous cisterns were used, with a transfer rate of 95m3/hour, which allowed them to be unloaded in 55 minutes.

The engineering company Cotenaval, together with delegated personnel of the shipping company, coordinated both the operation, which allows to combine the load of natural gas with other simultaneous operations of boarding passengers, vehicles and merchandise, as well as its risk study.

The simultaneous supply of several tankers to ship is faster than the usual method, known as Truck To Ship (TTS), in which it can only supply a single tank and usually reaches a discharge speed between 30 and 50m3 / h; a logistical difficulty that adds to the limited times of call in ships.

In November, Baleària carried out the first MTTS bunkering of LNG in Spain, at the Port of Huelva.