LNG fueled two days of innovation and knowledge sharing
On the 24th-25thof April, the DUAL Ports project and the Port of Zwolle had invited stakeholders, regional businesses and the project partners for an LNG workshop, with a focus on the future potential and realistic opportunities for LNG.
LNG, also known as Liquified Natural Gas is an alternative fuel, that is becoming more common in shipping and maritime operations. The DUAL Ports project and the Port of Zwolle had invited local, regional and national speakers and participants, for a workshop to present and discuss the future perspectives for LNG.
The workshop revealed a growth in the use of LNG as a marine fuel. Future requirements from governments and legislators will demand a shift from conventional fossil fuels to more sustainable alternatives. According to TernTank, one of the Swedish presenters, LNG emits 20% less greenhouse gasses, which makes it a more sustainable alternative to conventional fuels. Also, the technology is ready and there are already ships operating on LNG fuel. The company TernTank in Sweden is already running four of their ships on LNG. According to TernTank, these new tanker ships reduce SOx and NOxemissions by more than 95 % and CO2emissions by 40 % compared to conventional tankers.
For DUAL Ports, the next step for LNG will be the results of a feasibility study made in the Port of Skagen, Denmark, which points to several possibilities for an LNG facility in Skagen. The preliminary results show a possible market share of 15%. The Port of Skagen is currently looking for an operator for a possible LNG facility – The audience was also very interested in the future of LNG. Jacob Turman, Business Development Manager from Global Green Developer expressed a great interest in becoming first mover both as owner and operator of an LNG terminal.
According to Juan Fornaso, Sales Vice President of Galileo Technologies in Argentina, the market is becoming more competitive, and one of the great advantages of LNG is that operations are scalable.
One of the takeaways from the workshop is that LNG is ideal as a transition fuel, as a pathway to IMO’s 2050 GHG targets. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set out a strategy for reducing greenhouse gasses in international shipping with 50 % by 2050, and the vision is to phase out GHG emissions completely by the end of this century – thereby, LNG is a pathway for more sustainable shipping and a transition to zero carbon fuels in the future.
The LNG Workshop hosted by the Port of Zwolle at the Lumen Hotel in Holland was the second workshop with a specific focus on LNG possibilities.
The first workshop was held in Skagen in Denmark in September, and had a focus on the technology and possibilities of LNG – this time it was a question of the reality and the economy of using LNG. You can read more about the workshop in Skagen here.
On the second day an innovation meeting was held, where four different companies presented innovative technologies that will enhance sustainable development. One of these methods is a new nuclear age that is developing. Another is the GHG absorbent granulate, which can be added to asphalt – this method is going to be used in our SURFACE pilot in Skagen, Denmark.
You can see the presentations from the LNG workshop and the Innovation meeting below.
LNG Workshop:
Bart Kuipers – Various ways of propulsion
TernTank – LNG the future of tanker shipping
Nærenergi – LNG/LBG small scale production
MCS – Full service container logistics
MEQ – Investments in the maritime industry
Innovation meeting:
FCN – NOx reducing asphalt – mechanism and application
