First of its kind, a ship-to-ship (STS) marine LNG refuelling operation will be opened at the port of Rotterdam by the end of June, this year. The opening of this STS marine refuelling, known as bunkering is an achievement towards the realising the target of a clean burning fuel in the shipping industry, says a report published in Reuters.
The opening of STS marine refuelling, also known as bunkering, is significant because it makes the cleaner fuel more accessible to shippers, said Cees Boon, senior safety adviser at the Port of Rotterdam.
“A lot milestones will follow,” said Boon in an email on Tuesday.
Future Prospects
In June, it is expected that short-haul sea vessels will be the first to undergo LNG bunkering through STS operations in the port of Rotterdam, followed by LNG-fuelled cruise ships in November and then larger deep-sea vessels by the end of 2019, said Boon.
Significance
Short-haul LNG-fuelled shipping vessels have so far only been able to refuel with LNG in Rotterdam through truck-to-ship transfers while at dock.
Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and bunkering hub, and is actively promoting the use of LNG as a marine fuel.
Rotterdam sold 1,500 tonnes of LNG bunker fuels in 2017, up from just 100 tonnes the year before, shows data from port’s website.
Shippers are looking at LNG to help them meet the stricter emissions regulations in 2020 and beyond.
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Source: Reuters
