Americas News
"Very Big" Market Coming for LNG-Fuelled Ships
Johan Sperling, vice president of Jensen Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, told industry news site Maritime Executive the firm expects a "very big" market for liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled vessels as petroleum-powered vessels are converted.
"One estimate I heard is up to 20 percent of whatever is currently powered by diesel will be converted to LNG," he said.
"If that's the case, folks like Jensen and other naval architecture firms are going to be extremely busy in the next few years because this transformation comes with challenges."
He said the firm, which is now focused largely on planning for conversions and new construction of LNG-powered vessels, needs to think creatively about the engineering problems presented by the use of the fuel.
"You can't just put the LNG tank anywhere," he said.
"You can't design and route piping exactly the same way you did before, so it's an interesting challenge for everyone in my position."
Sperling said the customers seeking LNG solutions are mostly in the U.S., where the supply of natural gas is growing rapidly.
While LNG fuel is cheaper than diesel and produces less of the emissions that environmental agencies are concerned about, Sperling said it is not any more power-efficient than diesel.
"I don't know if it is ever going to be," he said.
"But the price point is so much lower than diesel and is projected to be even lower over the next 30-35 years."
Sperling said most vessels being ordered with LNG capability are dual-fuel, so they can run on diesel if gas is not available, but he said some low-horsepower vessels like tugboats may use LNG exclusively.
"There are folks that are willing to take the risks and move ahead because if you do go 100 percent gas then you really can claim you are 100 percent green," he said.
Looking forward, Sperling said big oil companies are working to convert facilities to offer LNG bunkering, but they are likely to start slowly to see how quickly shipowners adopt the fuel.
"Likely you're going to see small bunkering barges being built first and then in a few years with more LNG-powered vessels around you'll see larger equipment, maybe self-propelled bunkering vessels like you see on the drawing boards in Europe," he said.
Crowley has ordered a number of product tankers this year with the capacity to run on LNG when the fuel becomes available.
