EMEA News
Port of Gothenburg Begins LNG Bunkering
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering will now be offered at the Port of Gothenburg, which will coincide with the implementation of new LNG bunkering regulations, the port has announced.
The Port says the rules were developed in tandem with the Port of Rotterdam and the Swedish Transport Agency, and will allow cargo ships to bunker LNG at cargo terminals.
The new rules are the first general LNG regulations to be introduced in Sweden, said the port, and will cover safety zones, weather, bunker vessels, receiving vessels, terminals and other operational aspects.
"We firmly believe that liquefied natural gas is the marine fuel of the future," said Dan-Erik Andersson, the port's vice-president of operations.
"The new regulations will have a key role to play in bringing added momentum to our region."
The port is predicting an increase in LNG-powered ship traffic by next year, especially as LNG vessels owned by tanker operators Terntank, Furetank, and Thun Tankers are expected to become operational soon.
"We expect to receive a visit from an LNG-powered ship once or twice a week next year and many will take the opportunity to bunker in Gothenburg," Andersson said.
Though natural gas supplies will come from terminals outside of Gothenburg for the time being, the port said that it has plans to construct an import terminal.
To encourage LNG use, a 30 percent discount on all tariffs for ships using LNG came also into effect at the beginning of the year.
The ports of Gothenburg and Rotterdam announced in 2012 that they were entering an alliance to promote LNG as an alternative bunker fuel.
