LNG Bunkering

SEALNG reiterates benefits of LNG as marine fuel

Alternative fuels not economic, not available at scale, and unproven for shipping operations, it says.

Published

6 years ago

July 4, 2018

EDITOR: The article by SEALNG seems to be a response to a recent statement by Transport & Environment which suggests LNG marine fuel to be ‘an expensive distraction’.

Multi-sector industry coalition SEALNG Tuesday reiterated on the “critical continuing investment” needed in the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel to meet both air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets.

In an effort to ensure that industry and governments make a pragmatic and balanced analysis of the future of maritime fuels, SEALNG has issued the following statement:

Assessing the case for LNG must include the full benefits from both an air quality and GHG perspective. Assessing it purely from a GHG point of view is not responsible – we must consider the significant public health benefits LNG can and is delivering now through significant local emissions reductions in markets where it is being utilised.

The maritime industry has been working for decades to help ease the air quality issues around the globe. This serious health hazard still persists and must continue to be addressed. LNG is ready now as an unrivalled solution to these critical air quality issues. LNG far outperforms conventional marine fuels in terms of dramatically reducing local emissions to improve air quality and human health. LNG emits zero sulphur oxides (SOx) and virtually zero particulate matter (PM). Compared to existing heavy marine fuel oils, LNG emits 90% less nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.

As regards GHG in the maritime sector, realistic reductions of up to 20% are achievable now with LNG. As technology continues to develop, these reductions will increase. Furthermore, LNG, in combination with efficiency measures being developed for new ships in response to the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), will provide a way of meeting the IMO’s decarbonisation target of a 40% decrease by 2030 for international shipping.

Current technologies are well ahead of where we were just a short time ago and there are clear technology pathways which will allow further emissions savings to be realised, for example advancements in dual fuel technology and propulsion, enhanced control systems, and future use of gas turbine technologies.

Today, LNG is the only scalable and economic alternative fuel available for the vast majority of deep sea ocean shipping. Alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia are not economic, not available at scale, and unproven for shipping operations. They are called future fuels for a reason!

Electrification, batteries and hybrid solutions on the other hand may be viable for certain specific short sea, harbour or ferry type operations but this represents an almost infinitesimal portion of the world’s vessel fuel consumption.

These future fuels will require huge investments by industry and governments over decades to realise their potential. SEALNG encourages and supports industry and government initiatives which would assist with the development of future technologies.

LNG offers a commercially viable long-term bridging solution to a zero-emissions shipping industry. BioLNG (from biogas sources such as landfills and waste generators which is renewable and CO2 neutral) can and is already being used as a ‘drop-in’ fuel, significantly reducing GHG emissions. While longer-term, ‘power-to-gas’ is a key technology with the potential to produce large volumes of renewable LNG.

LNG-fuelled vessels and bunkering infrastructure can easily blend in bioLNG or zero- emission fuels. Today’s investments will not become stranded and offer further potential to progress towards a zero- emission solution for shipping.

It should also be noted that the infrastructure for LNG supply is already there; the focus is on investments in the ‘last mile’ – getting the LNG from the bulk LNG terminals to the ship.

LNG is the only creditable alternative to meet national and international regulatory targets. It solves the sulphur and particulate matter emissions issues and dramatically reduces nitrous oxides. LNG also enables the shipping industry to take a major step forward to reduce GHG emissions. It is readily available at scale now and offers a proven, affordable, and competitive solution for the maritime sector while retaining tremendous flexibility for the future.

SEALNG, in conjunction with SGMF, is continuing to develop studies and tools for the industry to better understand the true benefits of LNG from both an air quality and GHG mitigation perspective. The coalition continues to encourage meaningful debate using current and academically supported data and analysis.
Related: LNG marine fuel ‘an expensive distraction’, says T&E study

Photo credit: SEALNG
Published: 4 July, 2018

LNG Bunkering

BV VeriFuel participates in first LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai

VeriFuel, Bureau Veritas’ Marine Fuel Services programme designed to facilitate future developments of the marine fuel industry, successfully participated in its first LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai.

Published

16 hours ago

September 10, 2024

Admin

BV VeriFuel participates in first LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai

VeriFuel, Bureau Veritas' Marine Fuel Services programme designed to facilitate the future developments of the marine fuel industry, last week celebrated a milestone in LNG bunkering in Shanghai.

VeriFuel successfully participated in its first LNG bunkering operation about two weeks ago in Shanghai.

“This marks a significant step forward as we expand our service offerings to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuel solutions,” it said in a social media post.

“With more deliveries already on the way, our new service line is ready to support your LNG bunkering needs. We look forward to partnering with you on this exciting journey towards a more sustainable future.”

According to Bureau Veritas, VeriFuel provides the latest technology in order to monitor global marine fuel activities.

In 50 countries, VeriFuel provides the inspection services that are performed by in-house bunker surveyors based on uniform procedures and reporting.

Photo credit: VeriFuel
Published: 10 September, 2024

Alternative Fuels

Vehicle manufacturers join UECC bioLNG bunker fuel programme

Toyota Motor Europe, Ford of Europe and another unnamed European vehicle manufacturer have signed up for UECC’s Sail for Change and will use UECC vessels fuelled by bioLNG for cargo transport across Europe.

Published

16 hours ago

September 10, 2024

Admin

Vehicle manufacturers join UECC bioLNG bunker fuel programme

United European Car Carriers (UECC) on Monday (9 September) said Toyota Motor Europe, Ford of Europe and another unnamed major European vehicle manufacturer have signed up for UECC’s Sail for Change sustainability programme.

The vehicle manufacturers are set to achieve major reductions in emissions from their logistics chain by using UECC vessels fuelled by bioLNG for cargo transport across Europe.

The combined yearly emissions reduction for UECC from the manufacturer trio is estimated at around 80,000 tonnes, or over one-third of its global Scope 1 emissions from ship operations of approximately 220,000 tonnes.

“We are thrilled that three of our major clients have decided to participate in Sail for Change, which demonstrates the power of industry collaboration in advancing decarbonisation. Those willing to invest in sustainable transport now will ultimately reap the rewards as new regulations give a commercial impetus for green operations,” said UECC CEO Glenn Edvardsen.

As well as boosting their environmental performance with lower Scope 3 emissions, all three vehicle manufacturers will be able to significantly reduce their costs exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), while boosting uptake of alternative low-carbon fuels in line with FuelEU Maritime set to take effect next year, according to UECC’s Energy & Sustainability Manager Daniel Gent.

Under Sail for Change, UECC has facilitated bunkering of ISCC-EU certified bioLNG - or liquefied biomethane - on its five LNG dual-fuel and multi-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) at the Port of Zeebrugge through an earlier agreement with Titan Clean Fuels.

This enables the leading European shortsea RoRo carrier to perform carbon-neutral cargo loading operations across its port network, with customers able to access verified data on emissions reductions with clean fuel use through a CO2 registry covering the entire supply chain.

“UECC has made proactive strides in advancing industry adoption of alternative fuels over the past decade, having also piloted the use of biofuels, and bunkering of bioLNG marks another big step forward, both in reducing the carbon footprint of our clients and increasing demand for low-carbon fuels,” Gent said.

“Our aim with Sail for Change has been to provide a standalone product that enables our customers to facilitate a sustainable fuel switch in our fleet that has a direct and immediate impact on their emissions.”

And he said industry interest has exceeded UECC’s expectations, resulting in the Green Gas Month initiative being extended beyond July to subsequent months and years. The company is now looking to scale up the programme to allow more companies to participate in future years based on growing demand, according to Gent.

“Our customers have ambitious decarbonisation targets and see that using alternative fuels can cut a significant swath of emissions from maritime transport. There is now also a regulatory payback from using a decarbonisation service. Given it will be more economical to use sustainable fuels at some point in the future, customers are keen to secure supplies now,” he explained.

Photo credit: United European Car Carriers
Published: 10 September, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Titan completes first SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation in Belgium

Firm supplied 180 metric tonnes of LNG marine fuel using bunker barge “Flexfueler 001” to the newbuild vessel “Thun Vettern” for Furetank Chartering.

Published

4 days ago

September 6, 2024

Admin

Titan completes first SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation in Belgium

LNG bunker fuel supplier Titan on Thursday (5 September) said it completed its first simultaneous bunkering and cargo operation (SIMOPS) at Ghent, Belgium.

Titan supplied 180 metric tonnes (mt) of LNG to the newbuild vessel, Thun Vettern for Furetank Chartering AB.

“This was the first time the Thun Vettern has bunkered in Northern Europe and our first time delivering at the SeaTank terminal, Ghent, Belgium,” the firm said in a social media post.

“Our Flexfueler 001 performed the SIMOPS delivery, eliminating the need for the Thun Vettern to visit a layby location and enabling a faster turnaround in port.”

Using its Flexfueler bunker barges, Titan said it regularly facilitates SIMOPS to vessels in the ARA region and continues to work with stakeholders across the global value chain to increase access to safe and controlled operations.

“As the leading supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied biomethane (LBM), at Titan we’re committed to offering end-to-end, flexible and clean fuel bunkering solutions to our shipping customers,” it added.

Photo credit: Titan
Published: 6 September, 2024