Newest Jetty at Zeebrugge to Support Growth of LNG as Marine Fuel, Suggests Fluxys

Fluxys suggests that the new jetty at Zeebrugge's LNG terminal will support LNG bunkering growth.

Belgium-based Fluxys Tuesday, alongside an announcement that the LNG-powered Coral Energy became the first LNG carrier to berth at the second jetty at Zeebrugge's LNG terminal, suggested that the terminal's newest jetty would support the growth of LNG as bunker fuel.

"LNG is becoming increasingly important as a marine fuel because LNG has a much cleaner combustion than heavy fuel oil and stringent sulfur emission regulations are in force in the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea," said Fluxys.

"With this in mind, shipping company UECC recently began operating its first LNG-powered car carrier in Zeebrugge, with a second to follow soon. The UECC ships will be refuelled with LNG by a purpose-built LNG bunkering vessel which will have Zeebrugge as its home port and in which parent company Fluxys is a partner along with ENGIE, Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK Line."

Fluxys notes that there are about 40 ships being built for use in the English Channel, the North Sea, or the Baltic Sea - half of which are slated to run on LNG.

The second jetty at the Zeebrugge LNG terminal was commissioned in December following a series of operational tests.

"Yesterday, the Coral Energy became the first LNG carrier to berth at the jetty for a commercial loading," said Fluxys Tuesday, noting the 15,000 m3 Coral Energy supplies mainly small terminals in other regional markets.

The second jetty is noted to have been designed to accommodate LNG carriers with capacities from 2,000 m3 up to 217,000 m3.

About 200 loadings for small LNG carriers under long-term contracts are said to have already been scheduled to take place at the second jetty.

In another first involving Coral Energy, the vessel in September bunkered the newly constructed tanker M/T Ternsund for the first time - a milestone that also marked Sweden's first LNG bunkering operation.