Bureau Veritas Highlights Role in Adoption of LNG as Fuel

BV says it supports for the adoption of LNG as fuel.

Bureau Veritas S.A. (BV) says it has provided support for the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel through its classification of both vships involved in the world's first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation between two independent ocean-going vessels (OGVs), M/T Ternsund and Coral Energy.

As Ship & Bunker has reported earlier in the month, the Port of Gothenburg announced it would reach a "historic milestone" with not only the port's, but Sweden's first LNG bunkering operation, as Terntank Rederi A/S' (Terntank's) newbuild tanker M/T Ternsund was bunkered by Anthony Verder's Coral Energy.

"The ship to ship bunkering between Ternsund and Coral Energy represents a significant milestone in the adoption of LNG as marine fuel," said Jean-François Segretain, Technical Director of the Marine & Offshore Division at BV.

"Bureau Veritas has facilitated this major step through our dedicated rules and active participation in development of new international guidelines that encourage the adoption of clean fuel and enhance designs for new clean vessels."

The industry views ship to ship bunkering as the standard mode for refuelling ships and as the key to the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel, says BV, noting the last week's LNG bunker operation was the first time a cryogenic fuel has been bunkered ship to ship.

"Using liquefied natural gas rather than heavy fuel oil lowers polluting emissions, making it the straightforward route to compliance with stringent low emission areas established in Northern Europe and North America," stated BV.

The company notes that the recent LNG ship to ship bunkering operation will be followed by other BV-classed LNG bunker OGVs, including ENGIE bunker vessels that are slated for operation from Zeebrugge, and a Sirius Veder Gas AB (Sirius Veder) bunker vessel currently under construction.

In August, BV announced that it had classed the 15,000 DWT Ternsund, noting that the vessel is the world's first LNG-fuelled newbuilding oil/chemical tanker.

The 15,600 m3 capacity Coral Energy, which was said to be the world's first direct driven dual-fuel ice class 1A LNG carriers, was delivered in 2013.