The first Fuel Valve Train was produced as early as 2014. It is an important part that is needed to make shipping greener and emit less CO2. In the nine years that have passed since then, a lot has changed in the world, and environmental awareness has taken a quantum leap.
- Our mission is to supply the equipment for dual fuel ships. We have the technology to be able to create the driving force to supply the engines with the green fuel, says CEO Louise Andreasen, who is a chemical engineer and began her own career in the oil and gas industry.
Dual fuel means that the ships can sail on both diesel or, more precisely, low sulfur fuel oil, as it is called in the industry and at the same time one of the green fuels. It can be methanol or ammonia.
- These are the large ocean-going ships with two-stroke engines, which we make Fuel Valve Train for dual fuel engines that can switch between two types of fuel with a few strokes between them. First came LNG and ethane, then LPG and methanol. The first ships to choose this solution were ships that were already transporting the gases. They had the crew who were used to handling the gases and at the same time had easy access to bunkering, explains Louise Andreasen.
The equipment is for Man Energy Solutions dual fuel engines, which are almost exclusively produced in the Far East.
- The first was produced in 2014, and now we have delivered 500. In the years since, we produced 20 to 30 units per year, and today the number is several hundred per year, says Louise Andreasen, who just an hour earlier had opened a new production hall for the employees. We are now entering it.
Next green fuel
Eltronic Fueltech is also ready for the next green fuel.
- We can also deliver for the next green fuel, which is ammonia, says Louise Andreasen and elaborates on an additional function of Eltronic Fueltech's Fuel Valve Train:
- It is a safety component that must be approved by the classification societies such as DNV. This means that a large proportion of components and materials for Fuel Valve Trains must have a certificate from one of the classification societies in order to be used. This applies to all fuel types.
The actual development work of the Fuel Valve Train began back in between 2008 and 2010. Today, the DNV-approved parts come to Hedensted.
- The development, assembly and testing take place here in Hedensted before our Fuel Valve Train is sent out to our customers in the Far East. These are shipyards and engine builders such as Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. 95 percent is export, explains the director.
The number of employees has also increased significantly since Louise Andreasen became director.
- We had 24 employees when I joined in 2018, and today we have 102. The staff consists of around 40 technicians, 30 engineers and the rest are administrative staff, she explains about the company with a high proportion of knowledge-intensive employees.
Export is based on Danish cooperation ability
The speed of how many ships will be built with dual fuel engines in the future depends on how much green fuel is available. That in turn depends on how much green electricity is available on the market. It is electricity produced through PtX from renewable energy sources.
- There will be a battle for green electricity, says Louise Andreasen.
But when there is more green electricity, the opportunities for Eltronic Fueltech are great.
- We have quadrupled our turnover in 3-4 years - but now we also notice that competitors are coming, says Louise Andreasen.
However, she still predicts green fuels as an area with more growth.
- We are in China and Korea, and we are ready to be able to make more Fuel Valve Trains. We may be able to once again create a Danish export adventure after the wind turbines. We are a small country that finds it easy to collaborate across borders. That is why we are successful in Denmark. Take, for example, Esbjerg, which has been able to transform itself several times from the fishing industry to the oil industry and now the wind turbines. That's what we can do in Denmark, explains Louise Andreasen, who herself sits on the board of the Danish Export Association (DEA).
Text, graphics, images, sound, and other content on this website are protected under copyright law. DK Medier reserves all rights to the content, including the right to exploit the content for the purpose of text and data mining, cf. Section 11b of the Copyright Act and Article 4 of the DSM Directive.
Customers with IP agreements/major customer agreements may only share Danish Offshore Industry articles internally for the purpose of handling specific cases. Sharing in connection with specific cases refers to journaling, archiving, or similar uses.
Customers with a personal subscription/login may not share Danish Offshore Industry articles with individuals who do not themselves have a personal subscription to Danish Offshore Industry.
Any deviation from the above requires written consent from DK Medier.
