Samskip-Kvitbjorn

Two tugs of AS Slepebåten pulled the "Kvitbjørn" through the Sandnes Sound from Skattøra to Olavsvern in the afternoon of Apr 4, 2016. The ship had sufffered engine problems and had been sidelined at Norlines' quay in Skattøra since last week to Olavsvern in Ramfjord. The trouble was due to Computer which would take some time to resolve so it was moved there. Norwegian report with photos: http://www.nordlys.no/bat/nor-lines/rederier/her-slepes-verdens-mest-miljovennlige-skip-i-tromso/s/5-34-397227

The "Kvitbjørns" with a crew of 15 on board ran aground at Skeidskråka, a reef near Skeide enroute from Bergen to Ulsteinvik, on June 28, 2015. The lifeboat "Emmy Dyvi" was called to to pull the freighter off the reef, but tried without success. Around 10 p.m. the tug "Hugin" refloated the ship with the rising tide. The ship was taken to the Rolls Royce Yard in Ullsteinvik for surveys. Probably a technical failure caused the grounding. The Sunnmøre police carried out drug testings of the crew with negative results. Norwegian reports with photos and video: http://www.nrk.no/mr/lastebat-star-fast-pa-skjaer-1.12431641 http://www.smp.no/nyheter/soere/article11253874.ece http://www.vikebladet.no/nyhende/article11253836.ece#cxrecs_s http://www.vikebladet.no/nyhende/article11254499.ece#cxrecs_s http://www.vikebladet.no/nyhende/article11255832.ece http://www.vikebladet.no/nyhende/article11254062.ece#cxrecs_s

A Rolls-Royce pure-gas engine has propelled Nor Lines’ Kvitbjørn into the history books by becoming the world’s first vessel to operate between Asia and Europe solely on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the ship’s bunker fuel. Kvitbjørn’s naming ceremony in Stavanger celebrates Nor Lines’ 5000dwt short sea cargo vessel, built to Rolls-Royce’s award-winning Environship concept. The ship sailed to Norway from Tsuji Heavy Industries shipyard in Jiangsu, China, via Singapore, and subsequently LNG bunkerings in Cochin, India and Cartagena, Spain. This was the longest voyage ever undertaken by a vessel running solely on LNG and was completed in Bergen on 29 March. http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/rolls-royce-powers-the-worlds-longest-journey-by-lng-at-sea/