Americas News
TOTE Still "Fully Committed" to LNG Bunkers Despite Conversion Delay
TOTE Maritime Alaska (TOTE) says it will delay the conversion of its vessel Midnight Sun to using liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkers, but is still "fully committed" to converting its Orca class vessels to use the alternative fuel.
Having originally been scheduled to undergo phase 1 of the LNG conversion from mid-December 2018 through early-February 2019, the schedule for Midnight Sun has now been pushed forward one year.
The move is to align with the timeline for Tacoma's LNG-plant completion, where the vessels will load their fuel.
"In place of this year's dry dock period, our team will continue preparing Midnight Sun's transition to LNG for items that don't require a dry-dock," said TOTE, adding it believes LNG bunkers are "the most environmentally friendly maritime fuel available."
But in the wake of Shipping's decarbonization goals agreed at MEPC 72 last month, not everyone agrees with TOTE's assessment of the suitability of LNG as a marine fuel of the future, which is quickly emerging as a polarizing issue among stakeholders.
