Page 9 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2019 publication

Spring 2019 European Energy Innovation 9

LNG FOR MARITIME TRANSPORT

has strongly supported the with the order of an LNG vessel in emissions and can only be transitory
deployment of alternative fuels, and France. solution towards zero-carbon fuels.
in particular LNG, through financial Nevertheless, the investment in
schemes. In the current multi- Nevertheless, a number of challenges LNG is a positive route to follow.
annual financial period (2014-2020), remain for further expanding the It delivers a satisfactory solution
investments in LNG deployment use of LNG in the maritime sector. to the upcoming challenges on air
projects represented nearly 12% of These include the lack of commonly pollution and its limited CO2 savings
the entire maritime portfolio under available LNG refuelling points; the can still help the sector in initiating
the Connecting Europe Facility, relatively high investment costs for the transition towards low emissions
the key EU funding instrument retrofitting existing ships, as well as solutions.
for infrastructure investment. In for construction of new vessels; the
addition, the European Investment overall planned fuelling capacity, In addition, and more importantly,
Bank has set up in 2016 the Green which seems to be distributed alternative fuels are likely to play
Shipping Guarantee Programme, to unevenly across the Member States; an important role in the basket of
provide financial guarantee through and the problem of uncontrolled measures that the shipping sector
the Connecting Europe Facility Debt methane emissions (methane slip). will have to use to deliver its GHG
Instrument and the European Fund reduction strategy. The accompanying
for Strategic Investments (EFSI) for One limitation of LNG, is that while measures to support the deployment
maritime green solutions. The first being an excellent solution for air of LNG could be used as a blueprint
transaction signed under the Green pollution, it does not have a major for similar actions with respect to
Shipping Guarantee Programme dealt impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) low-carbon fuels. l

The recent order of ultra-large LNG
powered container ships and the delivery
of LNG cruise ships are clear indications of
the maturity of this technology and its
potential for supporting the sustainability
of the sector.

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