EMEA News
EU Shipowners Blast LNG Bunkering Infrastructure Delay
The weakening of a plan to require liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure across European Union (EU) ports has "shattered" shipowners' hopes, Patrick Verhoeven, secretary general of the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA), said in a statement.
The ECSA said discussions between member states and EU authorities have resulted in a plan to require states to ensure that "a sufficient number" of major ports have refuelling points by 2025.
The original proposal issued last year by the European Commission (EC) called for the infrastructure to be in place at maritime ports by 2020.
The EU Sulfur Directive calls for ships operating in Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) to reduce sulfur content of their fuel to 0.10% by the start of 2015, and the limit for the rest of Europe drops to 0.5% by 2020.
The ECSA said many shipowners view LNG as a good potential solution for compliance with the regulations, but they are hesitant to make costly investments in adapting their fleets to the fuel without being confident that a distribution network will be available.
"While the 2015 deadline for the compliance with the requirements of the EU Sulphur Directive is fast approaching and with time running out, it was our hope that the EU would break the LNG chicken and egg dilemma by deciding that major European ports will need to have LNG refueling points in place by latest 2020 so as to coincide with the 0.5% limit in sulphur content of bunker fuels in EU waters" Verhoeven said.
"The deadline of 2025 is simply too far to have an impact."
Verhoeven said EU authorities should revisit the issue at a trialogue meeting on March 19.
