Page 9 - GLNG Week 01 2023

GLNG AMERICAS GLNG

Kanfer, CB Fenton aim to

set up first LNG bunkering

services near Panama Canal

BUNKERING NORWAY’S Kanfer Shipping and CB Fenton, a said.
shipping agency affiliated with Chile’s Ultramar, If the project goes forward, Kanfer and CB
are making a bid to become the first providers of Fenton will be the first to offer LNG bunkering
LNG bunkering services on the Pacific side of services in the region. Currently, there are no
the Panama Canal. LNG bunkering sites on either side of the canal,
Kanfer and CB Fenton explained in a joint and the nearest providers are in the US Gulf of
statement on December 21 that they had signed Mexico and US East Coast regions.
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on The statement explained that Kanfer and
setting up a hub for LNG bunkering and small- CB Fenton were proposing to use the FSU not
scale LNG distribution in Panama. In the state- only as a source of LNG for marine bunkering
ment, they reported that they were now looking operations, but also for small-scale LNG distri-
for a partner active in the LNG and/or commod- bution in the region. The FSU could dispense gas
ity trading arena to establish a joint venture and to LNG- or dual-fuelled ships, it said, and could
move the project forward. also make gas available to thermal power plants
The parties hope to launch the project in 2025 (TPPs) within the framework of GTP projects
or 2026, the statement said. and to energy-intensive manufacturing facilities.
Once formed, this joint venture would be able Stig Hagen, managing partner in Kanfer,
to buy LNG and trade it to marine operators and described the project as an efficient and stream-
gas-to-power (GTP) clients in the region and lined means of facilitating LNG and natural gas
then charter ships from Kanfer to make deliv- deliveries to marine and onshore customers
eries. It would also be able to use either of the in the region at a time of rising demand. “We
6,000-cubic metre bunkering and distribution cannot do anything about the LNG prices, but
vessels that Kanfer ordered from the Chinese together we can reduce the infrastructure cost
shipyard Taizhou Wuzhou Shipbuilding in May considerably. We are confident that Panama
2022 as a floating storage unit (FSU) to hold will be an important LNG bunkering hub,” he
LNG. commented.
The MoU calls for the Norwegian and Chil- Meanwhile, Marco A. Guerra, the CEO of
ean companies to conduct a feasibility study on CB Fenton, pointed out that the establishment
the installation of an FSU on the Pacific side of of the LNG hub was likely to have a positive envi-
the Panama Canal to serve as an LNG bunkering ronmental impact. “We are delighted to partner
facility, the statement said. It noted that overall with Kanfer for such an innovative service,” he
demand for bunker fuel was reliably high in said. “More than 90% of the world trade is moved
this location, since more than 13,000 ships pass across the oceans, and we believe that it requires
through the canal each year and a significant cleaner fuel options. An LNG bunkering and dis-
number of these must wait before entering the tribution hub in Panama is in line with our sus-
locks. More than 80% of all bunkering oper- tainability strategy and will add value to the trade
ations in the vicinity of the canal occur on the lanes using the Panama Canal. Our purpose is to
Pacific side, and the partners will assess their contribute to the quality of life in our region of
ability to meet demand for LNG specifically, it influence through facilitating foreign trade.”™

Week 01 05•January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P9