Peninsula sees ‘uplift’ interest in LNG bunker fuel among customers

Marine fuel supplier Peninsula on Monday (15 July) shared about its dedicated LNG bunker vessel Levante LNG and its significant role in the rapidly growing LNG bunkering market:

It’s been three years since Peninsula made the decision to build the Levante LNG, our dedicated 12,500-cbm LNG bunker vessel, developed in Hyundai Mipo Shipyard, South Korea, through a joint venture with our friends at ENAGAS’ affiliate Scale Gas. Fast forward to now, Levante LNG is fully operational and regularly supplying LNG as marine fuel in the Strait of Gibraltar and Western Mediterranean.

Three years might feel like the blink of an eye to some, but the period has been characterised by remarkable growth for the LNG bunkering market. DNV figures show that globally, the LNG-fuelled fleet has grown considerably since 2020 – with 717 LNG vessels currently in operation. A further 341 are now on order and set to join the mix soon.

Certainly, we’ve seen an uplift in interest in LNG from our customers in recent months. From supplying the Royal Caribbean Group’s cruise vessels Silver Nova and Icon of the Seas to Eastern Pacific’s tanker Starway, MSC’s containership Virginia and, more recently, K Line’s PCC Thor Highway, our Levante LNG bunker vessel has indeed been busy.

Why is demand for LNG bunkering growing?

Beyond shipping, global LNG trading has become strategic since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly in Europe, where there have been efforts to find alternatives to Russian gas pipeline supplies.

Focusing on shipping, there is also significant regulatory pressure to reduce C02 and other emissions, like NOx & Sox, associated with the burning of conventional fuels in marine engines. The International Maritime Organisation has set a target for the shipping industry to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by, or around, 2050 and last January we saw the EU Emissions Trading System come into effect for the maritime sector. Ship operators are now effectively accruing a bill on their emissions for any voyages with a port of call in the EU, and shipping companies will soon need to surrender EU allowances corresponding to their reported aggregate emissions for 2024.

Regulatory pressure has therefore catalysed LNG’s remarkable growth trajectory and this surging demand shows no sign of stopping. Recent analysis from Ship & Bunker of DNV data on the orderbook for new vessels last year reveals that LNG is the most popular alternative bunker fuel, followed at a distance by methanol.

This is good news because as demand for LNG bunkering grows, LNG infrastructure is also improving, making it easier for ships to access LNG supplies all around the world. For a global industry that constantly grapples with re-routing, that’s crucial.

Note: The full write-up by Peninsula can be found here. 

Photo credit: Peninsula
Published: 17 July 2024