NG ShiP - Natural Gas for Ship Propulsion is an industrial research project investigating the use of natural gas as a propulsion fuel for cargo ships.
The project also aims at developing advanced plant engineering solutions for sustainable maritime transport.

There are a number of partners from Friuli Venezia Giulia involved in the project including companies, universities, and research and certification bodies with Wärtsilä Italia S.p.A. taking the lead role. With the support of RINA (Registro Italiano Navale – Italian Maritime Register) the project aims to extend, analyse and implement the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on medium-sized cargo ships and to actively collaborate in the development of future regulations to be applied to LNG carriers. Considering that in the near future maritime traffic will have to satisfy increasingly stringent international regulations on atmospheric emissions – the alternative being to pay heavy penalties in order to enter areas that are environmentally protected –, the benefits targeted by NG ShiP are of major interest: the reduction of harmful emissions including carbon dioxide and an improvement in energy efficiency, with a potential saving in operating costs of as much as 25%.
Within the context of the NG ShiP project, AREA is collaborating in the coordination of the activities and the enhancement of research results. The project began on September 1, 2010 and will end on August 31, 2012.

Objectives:
To carry out a project on the feasibility of installing LNG systems on cargo ships, with a focus on efficiency and a reduction of the impact on the environment in relation to the operating profile, resolving the problems and identifying the critical areas and the benefits whilst complying with the standards for the use of LNG, currently under development.

Targets:
Ship owners who could in the future take advantage of the solutions implemented within the project for medium-sized merchant ships; shipyards that are involved in the construction and maintenance of ships and on-board technological solutions; companies in other sectors that are interested in collaborating by contributing specific skills or in transferring the results of the project in other fields; universities or research bodies interested in collaborating in the project by contributing specific skills.

Planned activities:
- Industrial research
- Experimental development
- Project coordination
- Dissemination and diffusion.

Partners:
Wärtsilä Italia spa (lead partner);
Cenergy srl
Energy Automation srl
Navalprogetti srl
RINA Services spa
University of Trieste
University of Udine;
AREA Science Park;
RINAVE – Consortium for Advanced Naval Research.

Contacts:
Lead partner and project proponent of the NG ShiP project: Wärtsilä Italia S.p.A.
Project Manager: Yves Bui

For further information:
Raphaela Gutty
Centro di Competenza Cantieristica & Nautica
Servizio Trasferimento Tecnologico - AREA Science Park
Tel. 0039 481 412029
e-mail: raphaela.gutty@area.trieste.it


NG ShiP is a project co-financed by POR FESR 2007-2013 Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Axis 1, Activity 1.1b.