EMEA News
LNG Emerging as Forefront of Marine Fuel, Says Qatari Player
According to Qatari marine company Nakilat, upcoming Emission control Area (ECA) regulations have pushed the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the forefront of marine fuel, local media reports.
"LNG has always been handled by specially designed vessels and by qualified, experienced and specifically-trained staff, hence its exemplary safety track record during its 50 years of existence," Nakilat's fleet director Samir Bailouni said last month at the ME Shiptech Forum 2014.
Bailouni also pointed out that there had only been only 40 cubic metres of reported spills due to LNG transfers over the past half century, which distinctly sets it apart from the track record of fuel oil spills.
Many companies have begun to consider LNG bunkering in recent months as they seek to comply with 2015 regulations, which will limit sulfur content in marine fuel used in ECAs to 0.10 percent by weight.
Nakilat currently owns the largest LNG fleet in the world, with 61 ships that include four large LNG carriers and four large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers.
The company's joint-venture shipyard, Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) announced late last month that it would work together with classification society DNV GL to promote LNG bunkering.
