Norwegian LNG provider Skangas sees demand for LNG is on the rise in Nordics Marine Market, and the driving force behind this rise rests in supply to new vessels both in regular routes and in tramp/spot market. ‘The market has been waiting for the LNG bunkering vessels’, said the company, as LNG is the cleanest available marine fuel, suitable for all vessel types, and reducing local and global pollution and resulting in compliance with current and forthcoming IMO and EU regulations.
On the same context, the company announced that it completed 1,000 LNG bunkering operations in 2017, representing more than 60% increase over previous years. Gunnar Helmen, Sales Manager – Marine for Skangas, explained:
As more and more operators convert their ships to clean fuel with LNG and dual-fueled engines to power them, demand has risen significantly. This is particularly true in European waters where, until recently, most of the traffic consisted of ferries and RoPax cruise ferries routinely traveling set routes. Today, the supply pattern is more diverse due to the use of a greater variety of vessels, that require different types of bunkering solutions.
During 2017, the 1,000 LNG bunkering operations were carried out as follows:
- Truck-to-ship in port: 60%
- Terminal-to-ship: 38%
- Ship-to-ship in port or at sea: 2%
As responsible marine transport and shipping companies seek cleaner fuel alternatives to power their fleets, Skangas expects demand for LNG by the marine market to increase significantly during the coming years. Already, the number of bunkering operations we’ve executed for the marine market is higher than in Q1 2017. Clearly, 2018 is set to be another exciting year for Skangas, as we continue to provide readily accessible LNG to industries that operate at sea and onshore throughout the Nordics.
