Alternative Fuels

Wärtsilä and partners provide update on Zero Emission Energy Distribution at Sea initiative

Matt Duke, CEO, Grieg Maritime Group, and Kenneth Simonsen, senior vice president at Aker Solutions tell Atte Palomäki what the project has achieved and its future plans.

Published

5 years ago

February 9, 2022

Admin

Maritime technology group Wärtsilä on Tuesday (8 February) published an interview with the Norwegian shipping group Grieg Star and Aker Solutions, a global engineering company, on their carbon-neutral shipping journey while being part of the Zero Emission Energy Distribution at Sea (ZEEDS) initiative.

Matt Duke, CEO, Grieg Maritime Group, and Kenneth Simonsen, senior vice president at Aker Solutions tell Atte Palomäki what the project has achieved and all about its future plans:

What is the ZEEDS initiative aiming to achieve?

Matt: We know that shipping is close to 2- 3% of the world’s carbon emissions, which is millions of tonnes of CO2 and it will take teamwork to achieve our goals. There are different industry actors that are invited in to try and solve this challenge together and find the solutions we need as an industry to deliver on our climate ambitions.

What does each player bring to the table?

Kenneth: Starting out, ZEEDS was all about finding the fastest route to zero-emission shipping. All the founding partners of the Wärtsilä initiative bring different things to the table, representing different angles and different skillsets. From an Aker Solutions perspective, we were able to see new solutions, use some new technologies and integrate them into a totality. That’s really what we as a supplier bring to the table.

Matt: Our role was to be a ship owner and a ship manager. In many ways, you could say we were sort of there to be the customer who needs to use this new type of fuel. So, I think we were there to evaluate the business viability of these ideas. As the project developed, Grieg has started to use our technology team and our vessel architects to design the sorts of ships that could be viable here. We’ve been using our business development, while even looking at the production and supply of green fuels.

Atte: We really appreciate how this partnership has given us all a completely new position in the value chain, where co-creating future solutions together is being done in a very effective way – both within the industry and together with governmental bodies. It’s given us completely new insights into the market needs and helped us focus on our research and development efforts. So, this really speeds up the new green solutions entering the market.

For a new clean energy supply ecosystem and ships operating on emission-free fuels, we need to scale up clean and green energy production. When will we see the first concrete results of the ZEEDs initiative?

Matt: We believe that there are huge possibilities with hydrogen and ammonia, but they aren’t actually fully tested yet as proven ship fuels. There are many aspects to solve this, but one of them is to be bold and try. Together with Wärtsilä, we’re designing the world’s first green-ammonia fuelled tank ship for ammonia transportation, where we use green ammonia both as a fuel, but also as the cargo. We’re planning on launching that ship in 2024 and we think that’s a concrete way to prove our ideas. We will show that it is a viable fuel.

One idea stemming from ZEEDs is this string of pearls of clean energy hubs to supply shipping with fuel, which could be a potential answer to a huge global problem. If it succeeds, it could possibly be a real game changer for the industry. How can this vision come to life?

Kenneth: There are several technology pieces that need to be tested at scale, including the production of ammonia, the relative costs of existing fuel types and the fact that the current vessel fleet is based on heavy oil. It will just require some time. There will be a transition phase beyond technology and we will need to see the cost of hydrocarbons or emissions increasing to make it commercially viable.

How have so many different players pooled together without this leading to a ‘too many cooks’ scenario?

Matt: When the team is working together with ZEEDs, they feel like they are part of the same team working towards the same goal. They understand that different actors have different interests but at the end of the day, we’re all in it for the same reason, which is to try and make a difference to deliver on the purpose of accelerating the journey to zero emissions. That in itself is a very, very powerful thing to get people to work well together.

What is the right balance of responsibility between companies and policymakers in public-private partnerships?

Kenneth: I think private companies, both small and large, will be part of the solution. We have so many strong engineers and operators across these companies and they will be part of the solution. But we need to strike a balance between the authorities and the private sector. As an example, one of the institutions providing funds to the ZEEDS initiative was indeed the Nordic Council. That’s because we have companies involved representing all of the Nordic countries spearheading technologies here. Therefore, this is a super exciting balance between companies and authorities.

Other partners in the ZEEDS project include a global engineering company, Equinor, a multinational energy company, DFDS and Kværner, a leading engineering, procurement and construction company.

Photo credit and source: Wärtsilä Corporation
Published: 9 February, 2022

LNG Bunkering

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, the company said Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes.

Published

3 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

British oil giant Shell on Thursday (13 August) said Valencia has joined its growing network of bunkering locations, making LNG available as a marine fuel.

The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marked an important milestone for Spain and further strengthened Shell’s LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean.

In a video shared by the company, bunkering vessel Alice Consulich was shown supplying an undisclosed volume of LNG to the container ship MSC Sabrina.

“As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes,” Shell said in a social media post.

Shell said the achievement reflected the strong collaboration across the maritime value chain, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia and Fratelli Cosulich Group.

“We look forward to making more LNG bunker deliveries in Valencia and across the Mediterranean as LNG infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand,” the company said.

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Énestas and Power LNG join forces on Galveston bunkering

Énestas will provide capital, LNG transport and storage equipment, and downstream expertise to support Power LNG’s planned liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

Published

3 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis Solutions enter 10-year LNG bunkering supply deal for Port of Galveston

Power LNG (Power LNG) and Mexico’s LNG infrastructure and downstream natural gas company Énestas on Wednesday (12 August) announced the execution of definitive agreements establishing a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of LNG infrastructure at the Port of Galveston.

Under the agreement, Énestas will provide capital, LNG transportation and storage equipment, and downstream operating expertise to support the development of the Harborside Terminal and Project Seawolf, Power LNG’s planned LNG liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

The partnership creates an immediate pathway to begin LNG distribution by truck while Project Seawolf is under development, supporting marine fueling, virtual pipeline customers, industrial users, and LNG exports throughout the Gulf Coast, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Our vision has always been to establish Galveston as the premier LNG hub for the Gulf Coast,” said Austin Terry, Founder and CEO of Power LNG.

“Énestas brings years of operational experience, proven LNG infrastructure, and a talented team that understands how to deliver LNG safely and efficiently. Together, we can immediately begin serving customers while laying the foundation for one of the most strategic LNG bunkering facilities in North America.”

Project Seawolf will provide LNG for marine bunkering, truck loading, virtual pipeline distribution, and international exports. The facility is strategically located at the Port of Galveston, serving one of the fastest-growing cruise, cargo, and energy corridors in the United States.

For Énestas, the transaction represented an important milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“This partnership represents a natural evolution for Énestas as we expand our downstream LNG business into the United States,” said Caio Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Énestas.

“For more than a decade, Énestas has developed and operated LNG infrastructure throughout Mexico, helping customers transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Partnering with Power LNG allows us to leverage that experience in one of the most attractive LNG markets in North America. We see tremendous opportunities in marine bunkering, virtual pipeline logistics, industrial LNG supply, and exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are excited to build that future together.”

The companies expect the partnership to support near-term LNG truck loading operations while advancing the long-term development of Project Seawolf, which is designed to become a regional hub for LNG production, marine fueling, and distribution.

The collaboration also establishes a platform to pursue additional downstream LNG opportunities throughout the Gulf Coast, utilising Énestas’ operational expertise together with Power LNG’s project development capabilities.

Photo credit: Port of Galveston
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Company says the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

Published

3 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Clean energy production solutions provider Stabilis Solutions (Stabilis) on Thursday (13 August) said it has completed 97 LNG bunkering operations and delivered more than 150,000 m³ of LNG to customers in the Port of Galveston.

“As the only physical supplier of LNG on the Gulf Coast to reach this milestone, we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted, proven operator — both with local Galveston stakeholders and with the world’s largest cruise operator,” the company said in a social media post.

“That trust is reflected in the 10-year LNG offtake agreement we executed in December 2025.”

The company said the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

“As a Houston-based company, we believe in the Texas economy and the future growth of the Port of Galveston,” it added.

“That belief is why we’ve invested heavily over the past four years in the planning, permitting, and engineering design work to develop the most advanced, derisked, shovel-ready small-scale LNG liquefaction project on the Gulf Coast.”

Manifold Times previously reported Stabilis stating that the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is anticipated to be in production by the third quarter of 2028.

It will come complete with the delivery of the first new-build, dedicated Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge in the Galveston/Houston area.

This comes following Stabilis receiving a Letter of Recommendation from the US Coast Guard following their formal review of the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility and associated waterfront LNG loading, marine transportation, and LNG bunkering operations in the Port of Galveston.

Photo credit: Stabilis Solutions
Published: 14 August, 2026