At the end of 2017, the Port of Marseille Fos established a working group, gathering players from the LNG sector to find ways to develop LNG as a marine fuel. The working group will also attempt to reduce the impact of ships in the Port. Specifically, the working group will study the relevance of the logistics options for LNG bunkering in the Port of Marseille Fos.
Before this decision, during May, the Costa Group and the Marseille Fos Port Authority announced a collaboration between the two, to make Marseille a port technology hub. The agreement includes a joint commitment to protect the environment, create a dedicated warehouse and a training project for naval officers and engineers in Marseille.
The agreement aims to improve control of exhaust emissions through concerted action, mainly in terms of deploying advanced exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and LNG propulsion in which the Costa Group is investing heavily.
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Now, between March and July 2018, an LNG working group set out a plan detailing the schedule for the investment that would be needed, in order for the port to reduce its emissions.
It also brought together ship-owners that had expressed an interest in LNG from Marseille / Fos, the managers of the two LNG terminals based in Fos (Elengy and Fosmax LNG), an LNG supplier (Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions) and the LNG marine and fluvial platform.
The working group reaffirmed that an operational LNG bunkering solution in both Marseille and Fos would be viable, within a limited timeframe. This solution consists of:
- The rapid development of truck refuelling logistics that would initially to serve ferries and continue to be an option should refuelling vessels be unavailable;
- Putting one or more refuelling vessel(s) in place that would be suitable for cruise ships and ferries as well as container ships.
Currently, the players are preparing, with Fosmax LNG investing in the Fos Cavaou terminal, so as to receive small LNG carriers. This service will launch in the summer of 2019, including 50 annual slots.
In addition, Elengy is examining the extension of the Fos Tonkin Terminal, in order to incorporate the loading of small LNG carriers, providing 100 annual slots from 2021.
The work will result in the establishment of a complete and sustainable economic sector leading to concrete measures to reduce the emissions of all traffic
The Port believes.
