Asia/Pacific News
Australian Firms Plan LNG Bunker Supply Operation
Two Australian firms are planning to set up a physical supply operation for LNG as a bunker fuel at Port Hedland.
Pilbara Clean Fuels and Oceania Marine Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on setting up supply at the Western Australian port, Oceania said in a statement on its website on Thursday.
PCF is seeking to develop an LNG plant at the port that will be principally geared towards the marine fuel market. The firm is carrying out a conceptual study envisaging a base case capacity of 500,000 mt/year, with the potential for double that capacity.
The firms refer to the plant's output as e-LNG, on the basis that the plant will be powered primarily using renewable power and thus the fossil LNG produced there will have lower lifecycle GHG emissions than that produced elsewhere.
Oceania is developing an LNG bunkering business for Port Hedland using a delivery vessel to be chartered from Kanfer Shipping in Norway.
"The partnership provides a truly end-to-end development and implementation capability for LNG marine bunkering at Port Hedland," Robert Malabar, managing director of PCF, said in the statement.
"We believe the reduced GHG life-cycle profile of the concept, compared to the status quo, will fuel lively debate among stakeholders concerning the overall economic and environmental benefit and 'value-add' to WA's iron ore resources through this attractive application of the State's natural gas."
