Gate terminal to build new facilities for distribution of LNG via vessels and barges
Gate terminal has taken thefinal investment decision to add LNG break bulk infrastructure and services to the terminal.The new facility in the port of Rotterdam is expected to boost the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transportation fuel in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
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Highlights
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Break bulk (or small-scale) services aim to split up large-scale LNG shipments into smaller quantities. This enables the distribution of LNG as a fuel for maritime vessels, ferries, trucks and industrial applications. T
The use of LNG as a fuel is expected to grow substantially following the introduction of stringent new emission regulations (SECA) for the marine sector in the North Sea and in the Baltic Sea from 2015.
By using LNG as a fuel, barges, coasters, ferries, as well as heavy trucks, can reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 20%, their nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 85%, while reducing sulphur and particle emissions to almost zero. For these reasons, the Dutch government and the European Union encourage the development of LNG as a transportation fuel.
The new infrastructure at Gate terminal will represent an important step in achieving the goals of the ‘Green Deal Rhine and Wadden’. This partnership between the Dutch government, business and knowledge institutes aims to promote green growth. With its extended break bulk facilities, Gate terminal will be at the basis of cleaner transport by road, inland waterways and coastal shipping throughout Northern Europe. Surveys indicate that the introduction of LNG as a transport fuel could bring considerable economic growth and employment.
The project is key to facilitate LNG storage and to secure LNG supply in Northwest European ports, such as Gothenburg. The maritime connection between Rotterdam and this area is regarded as a part of the EU ‘motorways of the sea’ concept and has therefore been selected for co-financing under the European Union’s TEN-T programme.
Source & Image Credit: The Port of Rotterdam
