EMEA News
European Inland Ports Back LNG for Shipping
The European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) says it welcomes the European Commission (EC)'s push to encourage the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for shipping, but it questions the EC's plan to require refueling ports at all core inland ports by 2025.
"We fully endorse a European policy that is giving its support to the deployment of LNG as alternative fuel in inland navigation," said EFIP Director Isabelle Ryckbost.
"But we believe we should not anticipate the results of studies that are in the pipeline and which precisely aim at defining what the needs are in terms of refuelling points and what the feasibility is of the different options."
The EFIP said the use or transport of LNG on Europe's inland waterways is now technically forbidden and that current projects using the fuel are only able to do so through special exemptions as pilot projects.
"It is clear that a strict scheme of refuelling points can not be imposed on inland ports as long as, based on the current legislation, LNG can neither be used as alternative fuel nor be transported as cargo in inland waterway transport," Ryckbost said.
"Lifting this ban is probably the most urgent policy measure to take.
"As concerns the places for refuelling points, we would therefore favour, at this stage, a more pragmatic approach."
The EC issued its proposal last month, calling for LNG stations at 139 ports on the Trans European Core Network, with a deadline of 2020 for maritime ports and 2025 for inland ports.
