Gothenburg Hails "Historic" First LNG Bunkering

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday September 2, 2016

The Port of Gothenburg today announced it will reach a "historic milestone" with not only the port's, but Sweden's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation.

"We have worked resolutely for a long time to create a situation where a ship could bunker liquefied natural gas in Gothenburg. We have now managed to achieve our ambition and we are extremely pleased with the outcome," said Jill Söderwall, Vice President and head of commercial operations at the Energy Port in Gothenburg.

The operation will see the newly constructed tanker M/T Ternsund bunkered by Belgian bunkering vessel Coral Energy.

"This marks a new starting point for us. It heralds the beginning of a new era of more modern and considerably cleaner shipping. By opting for LNG, we will more than meet present and future environmental requirements," commented Claes Möller, fleet manager at Tärntank Ship Management AB who operates the vessel.

The port says it now expects LNG bunkering to take place on a "regular basis" with around 10 newly built LNG-powered vessels said to be on their way from shipyards that are owned by Swedish tanker operators with routes that pass Gothenburg.

As an incentive for operators to switch to LNG, the port also has a 30 percent discount on port charges for LNG-powered vessels.