Demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel is on the increase at the Port of Gothenburg, and it has now been announced that the availability of LNG and the range of bunkering options will be even greater in the future. Swedegas, which is currently constructing a permanent LNG facility at the Port of Gothenburg Energy Port, has entered into an agreement with a gas supplier for the facility, which will to become operational in August.
LNG is currently the cleanest marine fuel available for large-scale shipping. Compared with traditional fuel, emissions of sulphur, particles, heavy metals and hydrogen oxide are reduced substantially. The use of LNG internationally is growing in line with increasingly stricter global emission rules for shipping. LNG has also been highlighted by the EU as a key marine fuel for the future.
Considerable progress has been made in this area at the Port of Gothenburg. This is due in many respects to the far-sightedness of a number of Swedish shipping companies when they ordered LNG-powered vessels. In autumn 2016, the first LNG bunkering took place at the port, and since then the number of LNG-ships have gradually increased. In 2017, 111 LNG-ships called the Port of Gothenburg. From January through April of 2018, LNG was bunkered 44 times.
Greater choice and flexibility
LNG supplier Skangas is already operating at the Port of Gothenburg, supplying ships with LNG using a ship-to-ship-system. With the Swedegas facility and the entry of the Norwegian gas supplier Barents NaturGass, the range of options will be even greater for shipping companies purchasing LNG at the port.
“We can see that the demand for LNG will increase at the Port of Gothenburg, and it is vital that the number of alternatives continues to grow. With the Swedegas facility, the port will have more LNG choices than previously on a competitive market with several gas suppliers, whilst at the same time there will be a larger range of bunkering methods. This will offer greater flexibility, more stable access, and better service for LNG purchasers,” said Jill Söderwall, Head of Commercial Operations at the Energy Port.
With the opening of the Swedegas facility in August, LNG customers at the Port of Gothenburg will have three bunkering alternatives: ship-to-ship, directly from a road truck, and pipe-to-jetty. All three methods can be employed whilst the vessels are loading or unloading.
Scalable biogas facility
The Swedegas facility will be supplied with LNG via trailers or tank containers, which will be unloaded at a discharge station. The gas will then be distributed via a pipeline to the vessels at the quayside. The facility is scalable and can be expanded to meet the needs of the market. It also has the capability to receive liquefied biogas (LBG).
“We always build infrastructure that can handle both natural gas and renewable gas. It must be simple for shipping to gradually increase the mix of renewable gas as the transition progresses,” said Johan Zettergren, Swedegas chief executive, in a press release.
Fact file: Swedegas
Swedegas is an infrastructure company that invests in smart energy systems. The company owns the gas transmission network, transporting energy to distributors and directly connected customers. Extending from Dragør in Denmark to Stenungsund in Sweden, the network supplies 33 municipal areas with gas, as well as industrial enterprises, combined heat and power plants and filling stations. Swedegas is in the process of developing new infrastructure for biogas, hydrogen gas and LNG.
For further information, please contact Stefan Strömberg, Press Officer, Gothenburg Port Authority, on +46 (0)70-436 01 51, or at [email protected].
Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region. 30 per cent of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg as well as half of all container traffic.
The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world’s largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe. The 25 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.
