Tag: LNG bunkering

Mercator Media’s 2014 Gas Fuelled Ships conference, under the banner of The Motorship, got under way this morning in Stavanger, Norway, with the keynote addresses from a wide variety of important industry figures. Chairman Lars Robert Pedersen, deputy secretary general of BIMCO, gave the welcome address, summarising the last GFS conference. There were various topics coded by red, amber and green symbols. The greens have moved forward following the recent MSC meeting which answered some of the outstanding questions: notably implementation of the IGF code and location of LNG tanks. Anders Mikkelsen, business development leader DNV GL, gave the first keynote speech. He explored the ‘big questions’ of pricing, availability, the risks and opportunities of new low sulphur fuels and the uncertainty of what will happen after the low sulphur limits come in. Despite this, there is a lot of optimism in the industry. The small scale LNG value chain is critical, and users and potential users need to understand how this will work. Engines are not considered a technology risk, though dual fuel has a significantly larger market share in the current order book than pure gas. Tanks are developing fast, though the C type is still dominant. Globally, ...

The newly incorporated company Liquiline LNG AS, bases in Bergen, has acquired proprietary technology solutions, LiquiSys, the brand name  Liquiline and other intellectual property rights formerly belonging to Liquiline AS and Liquiline Europe AS. Liquiline LNG AS is a wholly owned  subsidiary of the Danish company Hirtshals LNG AS. Liquiline LNG and its clients will benefit from the technology and experience platform  that has been developed in Liquiline over several years. The company intends to  focus the activity more towards LNG bunkering solutions. The first mission in this  regard is to finalize the construction of the LNG terminal that Fjord Line is developing in Hirtshals, the first of its kind in Denmark. Liquiline LNG continues to operate and offer the logistics and terminal system LiquiSys to clients. LiquiSys is a proprietary  web-based system that contributes to a better and more efficient planning,  monitoring and logging of gas distribution. With the Fjord Line contract in place it will be full throttle from day one. I am  pleased that the key technical and project staff from the former Liquiline is joining us  in Liquiline LNG. The skills they represent are essential for executing the terminal  project in Hirtshals, and will also be very important ...

The possibility for truck-to-ship bunkering with LNG already exists in the port of Antwerp, but the construction of a bunkering station will make LNG continuously available for barges. In comparison with diesel, the fuel currently used by European barges, LNG is much cleaner. The exhaust gases from a barge powered by LNG contain hardly any particulates, and the emissions of NOx and SOx are also drastically reduced. Construction of the LNG bunkering station Antwerp Port Authority is one of the partners in the LNG Master Plan for the Rhine-Main-Danube aimed at promoting LNG as a fuel and as a cargo for European barges. As part of this European project the Port Authority is building a bunkering station for barges, partially subsidised by the European Commission’s TEN-T programme. After the European announcement of the selection of candidates earlier this year, the specifications for construction of the station will been given to the selected candidates this month. Operation of the LNG bunkering station The Port Authority is now issuing an official Request for Proposals with a view to appointing a candidate to operate the LNG bunkering station, for which the Port Authority will grant a five-year concession. During this period the operator ...

On 25 April 2014, following the European directive for a drastic reduction in sulphur emissions from ships, particularly in the Channel and North Sea area, and ahead of the opening of the LNG Terminal, Dunkerque-Port issued a Call for Expressions of Interest (CEI) for the setup of a marine bunkering and on-land supply chain of small-scale LNG from the port of Dunkirk. This CEI served initially to identify the operators interested in this activity, and the selected candidates were then asked to structure and submit a project file on 8 September 2014. Certain bids were eliminated during the preliminary analysis, and a detailed analysis of the project files is in progress with the Dunkerque LNG – Air Liquide – Exmar consortium. The project presented by these companies is organised as follows:     • On-land supply: Dunkerque LNG and Air Liquide will be responsible for the preliminary studies, the engineering and the investments. Gaz-Opale, a subsidiary of Dunkerque LNG operating the LNG terminal, will operate the on-land installation.     • Marine bunkering: Dunkerque LNG will be responsible for the preliminary studies, the engineering and the investments for the installations to transfer LNG from the terminal network connection as far ...

For the first time Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas) has delivered LNG on-board a Q-Max Vessel to the Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP) LNG Terminal located at the Jebel Ali Port.  The Q-Max LNG Vessel “Lijmiliya” has a capacity of 263,000 cubic meters, a length of 345 meters and is one of the largest LNG vessel class in the world.  The “Lijmiliya” under charter to Qatargas is owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat) and operated by Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Ltd. (STASCo). The “Lijmiliya” was partially loaded with 150,000 cubic meters of LNG in the Port of Ras Laffan and arrived on the morning of 27th October alongside DUSUP’s 125,000 cubic meter Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), ”Golar Freeze,” which is moored at a jetty in the Jebel Ali Port for unloading its cargo.  This being the first occasion for Q-Max vessel to call at Jebel Ali, the “Lijmiliya” was berthed in daylight hours and will take approximately 2 days to unload her cargo. Qatargas and its partners followed a robust process of management of change in terms of due diligence that was required to get the Q-Max accepted in Jebel Ali Port. On this occasion ...

LNG America announced an agreement with Buffalo Marine Service, Inc. (Buffalo Marine) to cooperate on the design of an LNG bunker fuel network for the U. S. Gulf Coast region. LNG America is developing a hub-and-spoke delivery system for LNG as fuel for the marine market and other high horsepower applications. Ultimately, LNG America will establish a robust delivery infrastructure to ensure the secure and safe delivery of LNG as fuel in major US ports. Buffalo Marine is one of the premiere bunkering companies in the Gulf of Mexico with over 50 vessels dedicated to bunkering in the region. The agreement will incorporate Buffalo Marine’s logistical, commercial, and administrative expertise regarding bunkering operations with LNG America’s experience with LNG as fuel for high horsepower applications; understanding of the emerging demand for LNG as a bunker fuel; and overall business-development efforts related to LNG bunkering. “Combining the bunkering experience of Buffalo Marine with our LNG experience and our progress towards building the infrastructure necessary to support LNG bunkering will help us to provide the best possible service to the emerging LNG fueled marine customers while using the best safety practices available from both industries,” said Keith Meyer, President and CEO of ...

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge participated in a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering focus group discussion on 14 and 17 October, held in conjunction with the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2014. The three European port authorities and Singapore discussed the following areas on LNG bunkering: Harmonise the technical standards and procedures; Examine risk management, emergency procedures and crew competency standards for international shipping   Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, said, "As an alternative fuel, the shipping industry is looking to LNG as a cleaner marine fuel to meet international regulations. Given the international nature of shipping, we are excited to work with the Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge, to harmonise the global LNG bunkering standards. We have made good progress in our discussions and will continue with our efforts to prepare the Port of Singapore to be ready for LNG bunkering in the near future."   Mr Eddy Bruyninckx, CEO of the Port of Antwerp, said, "Antwerp has the ambition to be the most sustainable port in the Hamburg-Le Havre range. Being sustainable is not a trend ...

SOHAR Port and Freezone is to join an elite group of ports offering LNG ship-to-ship services. That measures are now in place to begin issuing licenses to STS service providers equipped to handle LNG, came as an historic announcement at the 2014 Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON). With 125 years’ experience between them, Fendercare and SPT will be offered the opportunity to provide this pioneering service after requesting permission to begin operations. SOHAR Executive Commercial Manager Edwin Lammers revealed there are also plans to establish LNG bunkering facilities in SOHAR in years to come. “We are delighted to announce that we have put all of the necessary licensing structures in place to be able to start LNG ship-to-ship services in SOHAR. Around the world there are currently only a few ports that are able to offer this service, among them Port of Rotterdam and Singapore,” Mr. Lammers explained.  “This will be the first phase of our project, and we will move quickly in issuing the new licenses and getting things up and running. The second phase will involve installing LNG bunkering services for vessels calling at SOHAR Port,” he continued. The news comes just a few months ahead of the ...

The Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) saw some 1,600 delegates from over 50 countries attend the event's opening ceremony. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SIBCON is in its 18th instalment. Singapore's Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, presided over the opening ceremony today, held at the Resorts World Sentosa. In conjunction with SIBCON, Minister Lui also officiated the global launch of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), a new non-governmental organisation established to promote safety and industry best practices in the use of gas as a marine fuel. This year's SIBCON theme, "Driving Transformation in the Marine Fuel Industry", aptly describes the current industry trends and developments. Addressing an international audience during the opening ceremony, Minister Lui said that the bunkering industry has to grapple with a rather challenging environment. In the face of these challenges, we must look towards the adoption of new technologies and new modes of operation, and seek to transform the bunkering industry such that we can ensure continued growth in a sustainable manner. MPA introduced several new initiatives at SIBCON as part of Singapore's continued efforts to enhance our bunkering processes and prepare the ...

Baltic Ports Organization (BPO) and Port of Tallinn organized a seminar, which took place in Estonia, in Muuga Harbour, to discuss over the development of LNG infrastructure in the Baltic Sea ports. Seminar's keynote speech was given by the Vice-President of the European Commission Siim Kallas. Main topics of the seminar were the impact of new LNG terminals in Estonia and Finland to the distribution of LNG in the region and the possibility to develop a small scale LNG bunkering network in the Baltic Sea region. Future visions of ship owners about LNG distribution network were also described. According to Ain Kaljurand, the Chairman of the Management Board of Port of Tallinn, ensuring the transition from traditionally fuelled engines can be achieved with guaranteeing ship owners and ship operators possibilities to shift vessels between ports in the area without losing the access of LNG bunkers. "It is Port of Tallinn's aim to ensure the availability of the necessary infrastructure in our harbours also after the environmental norms toughen, in order to guarantee the smooth and sustainable movement of cargo and passenger ships," added Kaljurand. "Thanks to BPO's initiative already seven Baltic Sea ports have joined the LNG Baltic Sea program. ...