EMEA News
Invest in LNG Bunker Barges to Meet Growing Demand, Says SEA-LNG
Liquified natural gas may lead the field of alternative marine fuels but more LNG bunker barges are needed if supply side infrastructure is to keep pace with newbuilding orders, according to gas lobby group SEA-LNG.
Owners are pushing forward by investing in LNG-fuelled ships yet the bunker sector to supply those ships once they come into operation is lagging behind
"While investment in newbuild LNG-fuelled ships is robust, we need to see the same for bunker vessels, supply and liquefaction infrastructure," SEA-LNG chair Peter Keller said.
"As the LNG pathway continues to mature and the use of liquefied biomethane and eventually e-methane increases, the delivery of the fuel to vessels must be assured and the investment gap closed."
While the number of vessels capable of using LNG as bunker fuel is in the hundreds and including newbuilds the number rises to over a thousand, in contrast methanol-fuelled vessels on the water are in double digits a vessels able to use ammonia as bunker fuel in a single digit.
LNG's leading position has been supported by the fact that it was already established as a shipping sector before the emergence of the alternative marine fuels market. Critics of the fuel say that LNG remains a fossil fuel despite its environmental advantage over oil-derived fuels.
