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LNG Bunkering

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

With its bunker tanker “Levante LNG” serving Strait of Gibraltar and Western Mediterranean, the firm said the vessel has been busy supplying LNG to its customers in recent months.

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

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

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LNG Bunkering

South Korea’s HJSC scores LNG bunkering vessel order from H-Line Shipping

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has secured its first order of the year with a contract worth KRW 127.1 billion (USD 87.6 million) to build an 18,000㎥ LNG bunkering vessel for H-Line Shipping.

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South Korean HJSC scores LNG bunkering vessel order from H-Line Shipping

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) has secured its first order of the year with a contract worth KRW 127.1 billion (USD 87.6 million) to build an 18,000㎥ LNG bunkering vessel for H-Line Shipping. 

The contracted vessel is a large-scale LNG bunkering ship measuring 144 meters in length, 25.2 meters in width, and 12.8 meters in depth. It is capable of supplying up to 18,000㎥ of LNG in a single operation to LNG-fuelled ships. 

Equipped with two independent LNG tanks certified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the vessel features a dual-fuel propulsion system that allows it to operate on both eco-friendly LNG and marine diesel oil. This advanced system ensures both stability and operational efficiency while effectively reducing carbon emissions.

Yoo Sang-cheol, CEO of HJSC, said, “As global LNG demand and supply continue to grow, the LNG bunkering vessel market will see steady expansion.” 

“We will focus on strengthening our expertise in building eco-friendly, high-value-added ships, securing a competitive edge that aligns with our legacy as a leader in shipbuilding.”

This achievement follows the company's success in 2014 when it built the world’s first 5,100㎥ LNG bunkering vessel for Japan’s NYK Line.

“This accomplishment also reinforces South Korea’s shipbuilding industry's efforts to enhance competitiveness by securing high-efficiency, environmentally friendly vessels in the global market,” HJSC said. 

“Notably, with the anticipated expansion of oil and natural gas drilling and the resumption of LNG exports under the second Trump administration in the US, the market for crude oil carriers, LNG carriers, and LNG bunkering vessels is expected to see significant growth.”

“This trend is likely to benefit the country’s highly competitive shipbuilding industry.”

 

Photo credit: HJ Shipbuilding & Construction
Published: 12 February, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: Liquid fuel prices drop

VLSFO availability improves in Singapore; B100 cheaper than HSFO with EU regulations; LNG becomes costliest fuel option in Rotterdam.

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ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: Liquid fuel prices drop

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

  • VLSFO availability improves in Singapore
  • B100 cheaper than HSFO with EU regs
  • LNG becomes costliest fuel option in Rotterdam

B100 (100% biofuel) is now $32/mt cheaper than HSFO in Rotterdam when factoring in EU ETS compliance costs and FuelEU pooling benefits for voyages between two EU ports.

EU regulations make liquid biomethane (LBM) $121/mt cheaper in Rotterdam than HSFO, but only if used in a diesel slow-speed (SS) marine engine with the lowest methane slip of 0.2%.

If the fuel is used in an Otto medium-speed engine with a 3.1% methane slip, LBM is actually $14/mt more expensive than HSFO, even with regulatory benefits.

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: Liquid fuel prices drop

Regardless of the engine type, Rotterdam's VLSFO-equivalent liquefied natural gas (LNG) benchmark is now more expensive than all conventional fuels.

Even when accounting for the EU ETS and FuelEU penalties and considering that the fuel is used in a diesel SS engine, the theoretical price of LNG remains $66/mt higher than VLSFO and only $1/mt cheaper than LSMGO.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam's VLSFO-equivalent B100 price has declined by $66/mt, while Singapore’s price has dropped by $10/mt over the past week.

PRIMA Markets assessed the Dutch HBE rebate for B100 in Rotterdam at $369/mt on Friday, marking a $12/mt increase from the previous week.

Rotterdam’s VLSFO price has remained relatively stable, with only a modest $4/mt decline—smaller than the $7/mt drop seen in the front-month ICE Brent futures contract.

Singapore has seen a larger $16/mt drop, partly due to improved VLSFO availability. Recommended lead times for the grade have shortened from 7–11 days last week, to 4–8 days now.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG price has climbed for a third week in a row, this time by $26/mt over the past week. This increase is linked to a 3% rise in the front-month Dutch TTF Natural Gas contract, a key European gas benchmark.

The Dutch TTF benchmark has risen due to increased demand due to colder weather and increased draws from underground gas reserves in Europe.

Singapore’s VLSFO-equivalent LNG price has also climbed by $12/mt in the past week. “The rise can be attributed to updated forecasts of colder weather in Japan and higher gas prices in Europe,” Rystad Energy said.

By Konica Bhatt

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 11 February, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

LNG bunkering at Port of Barcelona increases by 60.5% on year in 2024

Port said 229,750 cubic metre of LNG were supplied at the port in 2024, achieving an increase of 60.5% compared to 2023 and a total of 491 LNG bunkering operations were carried out at the port.

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LNG bunkering at Port of Barcelona increases by 60.5% on year in 2024

The Port of Barcelona on Wednesday (5 February) said 229,750 cubic metre (m³) of LNG were supplied at the port in 2024, achieving an increase of 60.5% compared to 2023.

The Port said the achievement placed Barcelona as the leading port in the state - with 40% of the total m³ of LNG supplied - and one of the first in Europe in LNG bunkering. 

In 2024, a total of 491 LNG bunkering operations were carried out for ships, of which 402 were via tankers trucks, with 45,427 m³ supplied, and 89 were ship-to-ship (STS) transfers from barges, with 184,324 m³ delivered. 

Of the 8,398 ship calls at the Port of Barcelona during 2024, 822 calls were from ships using LNG, about 10% of the total calls at the port.  

The ships that have received LNG bunker fuel in Barcelona have been mainly cruises and ferries, reaching close to 23% and 19% of the calls of both types of ships and contributing to a reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of 20% for cruises and 18% for ferries. 

The top cruise companies have incorporated LNG-powered ships into their fleets, a good number of which operate regularly in Barcelona. During 2024, a total of 1,664,712 cruise passengers (45.5%) passed through Barcelona on board an LNG-powered cruise ship.

The increase in bunker supply of 60.5% has been possible due to several factors: 

  • the presence of the LNG supply barge based in the Haugesund port Knutsen, from the company Knutsen-Scale Gas,
  • the commitment of the shipping company Baleària to LNG, provided by several tanker trucks at the same time,
  • and the incorporation of new types of ships that use LNG in the port, notably car carriers. The Lake Herman ship, from Japanese shipping company MOL, was the first vehicle carrier to carry out LNG bunkering at the Port of Barcelona, ​​followed by four more ships of the same service, to which two new ships have been added at the beginning of 2025. 

During 2024, the fast ferry Margarita Salas, powered by dual LNG engines, was also added. Operated by Baleària, this ship began operating last June, connecting Barcelona with Mallorca and Menorca at high speed. This new connection reinforces the commitment to integrating LNG into passenger transport and significantly reduces the emissions generated on this route.

The Port of Barcelona said it will continue to facilitate the introduction of LNG with measures such as administrative simplification to facilitate the authorisation of LNG bunkering operations; and the availability of generic risk analyses to be able to expand these operations to other types of ships. 

During 2025, new risk analyses will be carried out to allow the supply of LNG to container ships, for which the port has already received interest from supply operators.

 

Photo credit: Port of Barcelona
Published: 7 February, 2025

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