Americas News
USCG Updates Policy Letter on LNG Fuel System Design
To support the safe design of shipboard liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled systems, the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG's) Office of Design and Engineering Standards (CG-ENG) has issued an update to Policy Letter 01-12, Equivalency Determination – Design Criteria for Natural Gas Fuel Systems.
The policy letter uses the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-Flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) as a basis for enabling the installation of LNG fuel systems on U.S.-flag vessels.
"The use of natural gas as a shipboard propulsion fuel is a leading alternative to traditional oil fuels for meeting domestic and international air emission requirements. However, since LNG is relatively new as a marine fuel in the U.S., there are no federal regulations to address the safe design of shipboard LNG-fueled systems," explained USCG.
Policy Letter 01-12 was first issued in April 2012 to provide a streamlined process to establish equivalency under the Code of Federal Regulations.
"The improvements adopted by the IGF Code reflect a better understanding of the rapidly evolving nature of new fuel technologies, and continued reliance on what is now an outdated standard is no longer warranted," said USCG.
"Therefore, this policy letter update uses the IGF Code as a baseline standard for vessels using LNG fuel as an alternative to those fuel systems covered by current domestic regulations."
In January 2016, USCG released additional and updated guidance on LNG bunkering, which it said came in response to having observed the "release of LNG and/or near misses" during gas refuelling operations.
