China Launches First LNG Bunkering Vessel
Chinese natural gas distributor ENN has announced the launch in Dalian of China's first LNG bunkering vessel, to serve ships passing through the waters of East China.
The ENN-owned XIN AO PU TUO HAO LNG bunkering vessel was transferred to water on March 2 and will be delivered within the year. It will serve domestic and international ships in the coastal region of Eastern China including the Zhejiang province, ENN told NGW, operating primarily from the ENN Zhoushan LNG receiving terminal.
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The vessel's construction, one of a number of pilot projects supported by Ministry of Transport of China in the field of maritime LNG use, "marks a breakthrough in China's capabilities in waterborne ship-to-ship bunkering of LNG as a marine fuel," Shi Guozheng, LNG expert at the China Classification Society, told NGW.
"Located in the middle of China’s maritime trade and sea transportation geography, Zhoushan is the country’s top bunker hub and Zhejiang province has been making great efforts in recent years to create a favourable business environment and build Zhoushan into an international maritime services base," ENN said. "As part of this effort, ENN will work closely with local stakeholders to develop Zhoushan into an LNG bunkering centre by making full use of its strengths in LNG trading and the infrastructure at ENN Zhoushan terminal."
LNG bunkering is on the rise in the Asia Pacific region, spurred on by tougher standards for shipping emissions introduced by the International Maritime Organisation and local authorities. LNG bunkering vessels are operating in South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia, with different ports and bunkering firms competing for business.
LNG is a "first choice" substitute for conventional bunkering fuels, ENN said, noting its use significantly reduces emissions from shipping and puts the sector on track to eventual carbon neutrality. The potential for LNG bunkering in China will be fully realised once the necessary regulations and policies are in place, Shi explained, noting that standards for simultaneous operations (Simops), when a ship is bunkered while loading or unloading its cargo, were "of great expectation" to the industry. His organisation along with authorities in China are working closely on issuance of the governing policies.
The dual-fuel XIN AO PU TUO HAO is able to bunker large container carriers, bulk carriers, very large ore carriers and very large crude carriers.
(banner image courtesy of ENN)