On Monday (18 March) Plymouth saw the arrival of James Fisher & Sons PLC’s new vessel MV Sir John Fisher into Cattewater Harbour to discharge her cargo of aviation fuel. Deputy Harbour Master Sean Marshall visited the vessel to welcome Captain Tomasz Kolesnik and crew to Plymouth, to find out more about how the dual fuel system works and the benefits it provides.
Proudly displaying ‘Pioneering Sustainability’ on the side of her hull, the MV Sir John Fisher has a dual-fuel system which can operate on LNG, gas oil or in combination, offers substantial reductions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has a bigger carrying capacity than the ship of the same dimensions in the fleet that she is replacing. This means that the vessel is capable of achieving a 45 percent reduction in carbon emissions, in addition to a 93 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides and 45 percent reduction in sulphur oxides.
Captain Richard Allan, Harbour Master and CEO of Plymouth Port/Cattewater Harbour Commissioners said:
“It is fantastic to welcome another first to Britain’s Ocean City. We are continually impressed with the innovation and investment we are seeing being made by shipping companies, despite shipping having by far the lowest carbon footprint across transport options already.
Plymouth now regularly welcomes hybrid cargo vessels, and vessels with rotors using wind to reduce fuel consumption and carbon footprints.
The shipping industry is investing in clean technology, as are ports, including the machinery and plant used within ports. It is important that the port here in Plymouth diversifies; invests in the necessary infrastructure and facilities to be able to accommodate the ships and trades of the future, maintaining Plymouth as the main gateway into the South West, and the main gateway for exports to Europe and beyond.”
The tanker incorporates innovations in design and construction technology to further enhance hydrodynamic performance, improve operational efficiency.
Sister ship MV Lady Maria Fisher was taken delivery of in early February and is currently transporting vegetable oil from Vietnam to Europe, where it will then be processed into bio-diesel.
Both ships were built and launched at China Merchants Jinling (CMJL) shipyard in Yangzhou and have been specifically designed for restricted access ports around the coastline of Northern Europe
After leaving Plymouth later this week, MV Sir John Fisher will arrive in London for her naming ceremony, passing through Tower Bridge just before dawn on Tuesday 28 March and will moor up against HMS Belfast. She’ll be there all day, and will leave London the following morning.
