EMEA News
Rotterdam Sees Strong Interest in LNG Bunkers
The owners of Rotterdam's Gate liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal say interest in LNG bunkering is so strong it may merit opening a third jetty with a focus on small ships, industry news site Maritime Executive reports.
Some estimates suggest 30 percent of new vessels will run on LNG by 2020 and the fuel will make up 8 percent of global bunker demand by 2025.
"Given this growth potential of small-scale LNG and the interest we see, the two main shareholders of Gate are studying the possibility of developing a third jetty in the second half of 2015 specifically for small scale LNG," said a spokesman for the terminal.
A recent study by an industry group predicts that LNG bunkers will generate €2.7 billion ($3.5 billion) for the Netherlands by 2030, with the number of inland navigation vessels running on the fuel rising from 2 to 50.
The Gate terminal is owned by Dutch companies Gasunie and Vopak.
The port officially began LNG bunkering for inland shipping at the start of this month, marking a first for Europe.
