For a Chinese customer, SHI and HHI build three VLEC tankers each, and both shipyards have chosen Svanehøj as their pump supplier. For each of the six VLECs Svanehøj will supply eight cargo pumps, two fuel pumps, and four spray pumps.
As the ships arrive in China, the cargo pumps will unload the ethane, and will otherwise be idle during the U.S. crossing. The ethane is delivered at -94oC, and the spray pumps hold the tanks refrigerated during the crossing. The fuel pumps transferred the liquid ethane from the tanks to the main engine. Both pumps weigh 28.5 metres.
To install and mount the long deepwell pumps in the tower, it requires two big mobile cranes. The customer pays all the costs associated with a check, and typically the offshore industry alone invests in pump testing.
However, this case concerns a new liquefied ethane handling solution, developed by Svanehøj in partnership with French gas tank specialist, GTT.
Since the solution is to be built on such a large scale for the first time (each ship measures 230 x 36.6 metres), nothing is left to chance. SHI and HHI have had engineers visiting Denmark regularly to observe the deepwell pumps during testing, and particular attention has been paid to Svanehøj's electric DW Fuel pump.