Page 30 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication

30 Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation
LNG IN SHIPPING
Source: BP Outlook 2017
LNG-fuelled vessels: out of 97 LNG-
fuelled vessels worldwide, 75% (73) are
in operation in Europe.
A continued work in R&D and the
emergence of interesting solutions
further improving LNG technology
in the maritime sector has also been
observed during this period. A good
example is Project Forward that is led
by bulk carrier owner Arista Shipping,
and in addition by Deltamarin other
participants are ABS, GTT and Wärtsilä.
The project is developing a technically
feasible and commercially viable
design for LNG-fuelled ocean-going
vessels complying with the IMO
standards. The concept is based on
the optimized B.Delta design suitable
for ships between 82,000 and 210,000
DWT. It will employ GTT’s membrane-
type LNG tanks for fuel containment.
Project Forward will ensure a long
sailing range for LNG which can easily
be adjusted to fit the specific needs of
each owner or trade pattern.
We can also observe increased
development of intelligence software. A
good example may be the LNGi portal8
which offers comprehensive insights
on the availability of LNG bunkering
in the world as well as market data on
LNG as fuel for ships. This platform also Globalisation of LNG market increases
provides a map and positions of LNG-
fuelled fleet’s operating area, detailed
statistics of the LNG-fuelled fleet and
other related useful data.
SMALL SCALE LNG
Small Scale LNG offers a variety of
different business services by the LNG
terminals that go beyond the traditional
unloading, storage and regasification
services. For some specific Small Scale
LNG activities, Europe (particularly
some specific EU countries) has a
long experience, with several hundred
thousand LNG truck loading operations
over the last four decades, together
with very numerous LNG reloading
activities over the last 20 years.
The current situation shows that
investments in small-scale LNG are
still being made everywhere in
Europe. This includes not just LNG
for use as a fuel but also increasing
opportunities for using LNG in off-
grid applications where the existing
pipeline infrastructure is insufficient.
competition and has a positive
influence on the market by stimulating
the innovations.
There is indeed a visible tendency
to invest in small-scale as well as in
the majority of the large-scale LNG
terminals in Europe. The loading
of bunkering ships is available for
example in Spain, the Netherlands,
Belgium and France. GLE (Gas LNG
Europe) a column of GIE, regularly
gathers and updates the LNG New
Services Inventory9. It provides
an overview of the new services
(reloading, trans-shipment, bunkering
ships, trucks and rail-loading) offered
by the European LNG terminal
operators.
An important factor in the development
of small-scale LNG is not only the
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