During June 25, the first-ever bunkering of liquefied biogas (LBG) in Sweden, took place at the Port of Gothenburg. ‘Fure Vinga’ received 40 cubic metres of LBG directly from a road tanker. This LBG bunkering was the second ever globally, and took place without an incident.
The content of LNG and LBG is essentially the same as they both include almost 100% methane. The difference lies in the production process. LNG is extracted from the ground, while LBG is a fossil-free, renewable fuel, produced from organic waste.
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The almost identical chemical composition of the two fuels means that engines that run on LNG can also run on LBG. Thus, the infrastructure which is currently being built for LNG can also be used for LBG.
What is more, the transition to LBG does not require extra investment in new vessels for the shipping companies that are using LNG, or in a new pipeline infrastructure.
Lars Höglund, Furetank chief executive, commented on the occasion saying that the company would have pumped more LBG but the supply for this fuel is limited. He added:
I know there is a considerable demand from the market, both from us and other players in the shipping sector. I now hope that suppliers will make an even greater effort to open the eyes of the shipping community to the potential of LBG.