Page 8 - NorthAmOil Week 13 2021
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NorthAmOil                                    COMMENTARY                                          NorthAmOil



                         February for the joint marketing and supply of  half of the world’s LNG-refuelled ships operate
                         LNG bunker in both Malaysia and Japan. The  in Norway.
                         two companies said the collaboration, under   On a European level, key milestones include
                         which Petronas Marine will provide services in  the EU’s 2005 sulphur directive, as well as the
                         both countries, would lead to the development  creation of emissions control areas (ECAs) in the
                         of industrial platforms and end-to-end supply  Baltic and North seas that same year. Authorities
                         chains for the use of LNG as a marine fuel.  are currently discussing the establishment of a
                           Petronas also signed an agreement with lead-  Mediterranean ECA as well, which would have
                         ing Japanese LNG trader JERA in February to  significant impact on LNG bunkering there.
                         establish a global bunkering supply network,   Today there are some 125 LNG-fuelled
                         with the two firms committing to leveraging  ships working in European waters, represent-
                         each other’s LNG bunkering experience.  ing around three quarters of the global total,
                           JERA launched its own LNG bunkering  according to DNV GL. There are also some 28
                         business in October 2020, when its joint ven-  LNG bunkering vessels that serve them.
                         ture with three other Japanese companies, Cen-  A notable event in Europe was Total’s bunker-
                         tral LNG, supplied LNG bunker to the Nippon  ing of the world’s largest containership, the CMA
                         Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) operated Sakura  CGM-operated Jacques Saade, with bio-LNG
                         Leader vehicle carrier. NYK, along with Kawa-  last November. Saade and other containerships
                         saki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) and Toyota Tsusho, is  will be refuelled with LNG while transporting
                         a Central LNG partner.               goods between markets in Asia and Europe.
                           Asia’s other major LNG importers, China and   The French major undertook the operation
                         South Korea, have also begun working on their  at the port of Rotterdam using its first LNG bun-
                         own bunkering capabilities.          kering barge, the Gas Agility. Total has a second
                           China’s southeastern city of Shenzhen last  barge on order that will start bunkering in the
                         year teamed up with state-run PetroChina,  south of France in 2022.
                         Shenzhen Gas and Yantian Port to develop the   The country that registered the biggest
                         country’s first offshore LNG bunkering terminal.  growth in LNG bunkering last year was Spain,
                           The South Korean government, meanwhile,  which saw 741 operations take place versus only
                         has thrown its weight behind the construction of  199 in 2019. There are now nine Spanish ports
                         a ship-to-ship LNG bunkering vessel as well as a  that provide LNG refuelling services. Driving
                         smaller bunkering vessel for coastal use.   this growth has been increased LNG uptake in
                                                              the cruise sector and a rise in LNG-fuelled trade
                         Europe                               between Asia and Europe.
                         LNG has been used to fuel LNG carriers
                         (LNGCs) for decades, but until recently, its use  Former Soviet States
                         in bunkering other types of ships was confined  Russia has been slow to adopt LNG as a mari-
                         to Norway. LNG bunkering began spreading  time fuel despite its substantial and low-cost
                         beyond Norwegian shores in the early 2010s,  gas resources. However, the government has
                         and is now available at many ports in North  launched a programme to increase the number
                         Europe and has made significant inroads in the  of Russian ports that offer the fuel and expand
                         Mediterranean.                       LNG use in both sea and river transport.
                           Local policy has played a vital role in spurring   On an international level, state shipping giant
                         the development of LNG bunkering in Europe.  Sovcomflot now has six LNG-fuelled oil tankers
                         Norway introduced a tax on nitrogen oxide  in operation, in addition to its 15-strong fleet of
                         emissions in 2007, with the proceeds going into  LNG tankers that use gas in their engines. Other
                         a special fund which was then used to expand  Russian cargo handlers are considering switch-
                         LNG bunkering infrastructure. Today around  ing to the fuel as well.

                                                                                                   The Dmitry Medvedev,
                                                                                                   recently launched,
                                                                                                   is Russia's first LNG
                                                                                                   bunkering barge.






















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