LNG marine fuel ‘competitive’ for PCTCs in Pacific, Atlantic routes

SEALNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, Thursday (11 July) released an independent study showing that LNG as a marine fuel delivers the best return on investment and is a competitive option for newbuild Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC) on Pacific and Atlantic trade lanes.

“This is the second in a series of studies commissioned from independent simulation and analytics expert Opsiana,” said Peter Keller, Chairman, SEALNG.

“Similarly to the results of the liner investment case, this study shows that shipowners ordering PCTC newbuildings should take advantage of the environmental, operational and commercial benefits of LNG.”

The study considered two PCTC trading scenarios using a 6,500 Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) vessel on the Atlantic Trade and an 8,000 CEU vessel on the Pacific Trade.

It indicated that LNG as a marine fuel delivers the best return on investment on a net present value (NPV) basis over a conservative 10-year horizon, with fast payback periods ranging from one to three years on the Atlantic Trade and from less-than-one year to two years on the Pacific Trade.

These two routes were chosen based on trading scale, with approximately 3.2M vehicles shipped on the Pacific Trade and 1.7M on the Atlantic Trade every year. LNG proved to be the best investment across both trading zones.

This higher investment return was achieved without including the significant additional benefits and branding value gained by choosing LNG as a more environmentally friendly marine fuel. When corporate sustainability and environmental goals are included, including potential future charges on CO2 production, choosing LNG as a marine fuel brings additional benefits.

While this study focuses specifically on the PCTC investment case for LNG within a specific trade route, the coalition continues to collaborate with third parties on further independent research which will analyse the investment case for a dry bulk vessel and a very large crude carrier (VLCC).

“LNG is a safe, mature, commercially viable marine fuel offering superior local emissions performance, significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction benefits, and a potential pathway to a zero-emissions shipping industry,” concludes Keller.

“SEALNG will continue to provide factual, independently verified information that objectively supports owners and operators in decision-making for 2020 and beyond.”

The full investment case study can be accessed here.

Published: 15 July, 2019