EMEA News
Germany: LNG Bunkering on Elbe Moves Forward with Biggest Stem to Date
Germany's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation took place at Elbehafen in Brunsbuttel port on the mouth of the river Elbe.
A hopper-dredger vessel loaded 85 metric tonnes (mt) of the alternative bunker fuel in a truck-to-ship operation.
Two trucks were used, a method of loading LNG bunkers that "has been successfuly applied several times and allows for significant time savings when conducting a bunker operation", according to maritime bunkering and technical firm Nauticor which oversaw the operation.
"At the end of this year, our new LNG bunker vessel will also be put into operation, which will allow us to conduct faster and more comprehensive bunker operations," Nauticor's chief executive Mahinde Abeynaike said.
Brunsbuttlel port authority has plans to develop LNG bunkering as an option for vessels traffic on the Lower Elbe between the port and Hamburg.
An LNG import terminal is in the offing. Once up-and-running it would "facilitate easier access to LNG for customers who want to use the fuel for their ships and trucks", the port said.
