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LNG Bunkering

Successful first LNG Bunkering operation at Klaipėdos, Lithuania

‘The whole process was complicated by the fact that there is no legislation regulating LNG bunkering in Lithuania today,’ says Director General of Klaipėdos Nafta.

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Cryo Shipping LNG

Lithuania-based oil and LNG terminal operator Klaipėdos Nafta (KN) on Monday (9 March) announced the first successful liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering carried out at the port of Klaipėdos.

In this operation, MV Greenland, a cement tanker was bunkered with 45 cubic meters of LNG gas at Malku Bay Terminal.

The success of the event was credited to the cooperation of several stakeholders-  Klaipedos Nafta AB, Norwegian-based Cryo Shipping AS, Limkko group, Baltkonta UAB and Ignitis UAB.

In this case, a LNG filled ISO container was lifted onto a Baltkontos tow truck and transported to the Malku Bay terminal. 

The first bunkering operation from the ISO container to the cement carrier in Klaipeda Port was carried out by Cryo Shipping AS, a company with experience in shipping and gas and oil, offering safe, customer-oriented and customer-friendly bunkering solutions.

The bunkering operation was conducted in accordance with all good practice requirements and recommendations of the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Following the bunkering of the ship, the ISO container of LNG gas purchased by Cryo Shipping from UAB Ignitis was refilled at a CNG onshore LNG distribution station.

Nicholai H. Olsen, Director of Cryo Shipping AS, pointed out that Klaipeda was chosen for the cement tanker bunkering because of the port's CNG-LNG distribution station infrastructure. 

“We are very grateful for all the help we have received from all the countries involved in this operation. We hope that Klaipeda will become an important LNG bunkering port in the future and Cryo Shipping will support and encourage this goal,” said Olsen. 

The head of Cryo Shipping AS said that in future, the company has plans to acquire an LNG bunkering vessel, which would also be bunkering in Klaipeda port.

 Darius Šilenskis, Director General of KN, pointed out that the whole process was complicated by the fact that there is no legislation regulating LNG bunkering in Lithuania today.

“The first document regulating LNG bunkering in the port will be the Port Shipping Rules, which are being revised by the entire LNG bunkering community,” said Šilenskis.

 “While these were not available, Cryo Shipping AS had to go a long way in obtaining permission for the first LNG bunkering operation in the port of Klaipeda to negotiate a series of documents defining a safe operation and securing the permission of the Harbor Master's Office in this particular case at Klaipeda Port,” he concluded.

Kęstutis Kairys, Head of Baltkonta UAB, notes that the first bunkering operation in Klaipeda is very good news for market participants and a major step forward in the field of LNG.

“I remember that two years ago we were just considering bunkering a ship from a tank truck. Today, this opportunity has become a reality and I have no doubt that this message will reach many shipowners who will discover Klaipeda as an LNG bunkering port, ”says Kairys. 

The LNG bunkering operation that took place in Klaipeda Port this weekend may be the first. But Silensky says the number of LNG-bunkering procedures will increase as the number of LNG-powered ships and the growing number of their orders in the Baltic and North Seas escalates.

According to consulting and classification company DNV GL, there are 177 LNG-powered vessels worldwide and by 2027, another 208 marine vehicles using this fuel will be built. The highest concentration of such vessels is currently recorded in the North and Baltic Seas.

"The emergence of new LNG transport and bunkering vessels increases the competitiveness and availability of the region's LNG market and facilitates more efficient use of the LNG infrastructure created in Klaipeda," says D. Šilenskis.

LNG-powered vessels coming to Klaipeda port can be bunkered through three procedures at various port loading terminals from LNG tanker to ship, from terminal to ship in a custom CNG operated LNG distribution station and from ship to ship. 

Although Klaipeda currently has no permanent resident LNG bunkering vessel, in the Baltic and North Sea region, LNG transportation and bunkering services are provided by a number of available vessels.

Related: PGNiG LNG reloading station at Klaipeda allows LNG bunkering ops


Photo credit: Klaipėdos Nafta

Published: 10 March, 2020

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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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Alternative Fuels

Hapag-Lloyd secures USD 4 billion green financing for 24 large containerships

Firm said it has obtained long-term financing for 24 new LNG dual-fuel, ammonia-ready containerships that it ordered from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and New Times Shipbuilding in October.

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Hapag-Lloyd's "Essen Express" (13,169 TEU) heading towards the ‘Köhlbrandbrücke’

Hapag-Lloyd on Tuesday (4 February) said it has fully secured USD 4 billion long-term financing for 24 new LNG dual-fuel, ammonia-ready containerships that it ordered from two Chinese shipyards last October. 

Of these, 12 newbuildings – each with a capacity of 16,800 TEU – will be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. These units will be used to expand the capacity of services that are already in place. 

An additional 12 ships, each with a capacity of 9,200 TEU, have been ordered from New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd. and will replace older units in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet that will be nearing the end of their service life in this decade.

The ships will be equipped with low-emission and fuel-efficient high-pressure liquefied gas dual-fuel engines. 

In addition, these vessels can be operated using biomethane, which can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional propulsion systems. The new ships will also be ammonia ready.

Hapag-Lloyd will take delivery of the new vessels between 2027 and 2029. The newbuildings will have a combined capacity of 312,000 TEU.

The financing consists of four components. Around USD 900 million of the purchase price will be financed using the company’s own funds. A total of USD 500 million will be made available from two banks in the form of bilateral mortgage loans.

Another part, in the amount of USD 1.8 billion, will be financed via three leasing structures, and USD 1.1 billion will be financed via a syndicated credit facility backed by the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). The financing share amounts to a total of around 80% of the investment volume, with maturities ranging between 10 and 18 years.

The financing will be carried out on the basis of Hapag-Lloyd’s Green Financing Framework, which in turn complies with the standards of the Green Loan Principles of the Loan Market Association (LMA). This has been verified by an independent expert opinion of the international classification society DNV, as has the high efficiency of the ships and their compliance with the EU Taxonomy.

“We are continuously modernizing our fleet in order to deliver a high quality of service and to achieve our ambitious decarbonization goals,” said Mark Frese, CFO/CPO of Hapag-Lloyd AG. 

“The successful conclusion of several attractive financial transactions confirms that green financing components are becoming increasingly important. In addition, we are pleased to be able to finance newbuild projects in China for the first time with the Sinosure transaction.”

 

Photo credit: Hapag-Lloyd
Published: 5 February, 2025

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