France Looks to Boost Adoption of LNG Bunkers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday November 21, 2017

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced that the country will change regulations to allow liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering at ports, and will consider updating fiscal rules on amortising investments for new ships and engine technology, Reuters reports.

"We have to use this (energy) transition to differentiate ourselves on the market - in transport and in port services," said Philippe.

"We want French ports to be equipped (...) with LNG installations and also the capacity to electrically charge ships."

The development comes on the heels of news that French shipping giant CMA CGM S.A. (CMA CGM) will equip nine new mega-box ships with engines able to burn LNG as bunker fuel.

As Ship & Bunker reported last week, the French boxship operator's decision to make LNG the fuel for its deepsea newbuildings is believed by some to represent a boost to the emerging LNG bunker fuel marke.