Svanehøj gets its breakthrough in the container ship market. Shipyard giants Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries have ordered deepwell gas fuel pumps for 22 Ultra Large Container Vessels.

The market for large container vessels is growing rapidly, and shipping companies are increasingly choosing LNG as fuel for their newbuilds.

For this reason, it is of significant strategic importance that Svanehøj has now secured its first orders for deepwell (DW) fuel pumps for LNG-powered container vessels. Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering have ordered pumps in Denmark for as many as 22 Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV) with a capacity ranging from 15,000 to 23,500 containers (TEU). A total of 44 22-metre-long pumps will be delivered to the Korean shipyards by the end of 2023.

“The two orders are a breakthrough for us and the result of a very constructive dialogue with shipyards and shipping companies. Our deepwell pumps are different from the pumps traditionally used on container vessels. This has some obvious benefits that we have had an excellent opportunity to present in the process,” says Johnny Houmann, sales director at Svanehøj.

Compared with other fuel pumps, Svanehøj’s deepwell fuel pumps operate with significantly longer service intervals, which means only two pumps per ship are required instead of the usual three. Furthermore, in this case, it has been a decisive factor that Svanehøj’s pumps are designed to be serviced immediately without having to spend precious time emptying the tank of gas. Finally, the pump is more robust to impurities in the gas, making it more reliable.

Interest in LNG has never been greater

The orders from South Korea come at a time when the market for container ships is growing rapidly. In just eight months, the “orderbook-to-fleet ratio” for container vessels has increased from 8.8% to almost 20%. At the same time, several of the largest container shipping companies have announced they are investing in LNG dual-fuel technology.

“The interest in LNG has never been greater, and with the new orders as a backrest, we are now directing an increased focus on the container segment. We already have an impressive reference list that shows that our DW fuel pump is a proven and future-proof solution. We have supplied fuel pumps for handling LNG, LPG, and ethane. We are also participating in projects on ammonia-fueled engines, which is considered by many to be the best option for the CO₂ neutral fuel of the future,” says Johnny Houmann.

Svanehøj’s sales of fuel pumps tripled in 2020 and contributed greatly to the company being able to increase its turnover from DKK 288 million to DKK 388 million (USD 46,3 million to USD 62,3 million).

Svanehøj’s scope for each vessel consists of 2 x EFP 24-5 LNG fuel pumps (22 m.) with caisson, foot valves, and control systems.