Society For Gas News

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Hudong-Zhonghua (HZ) Shipyard for its new  liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier design, currently the world’s largest with 271,000 cubic meters of cargo tank capacity.The design features flexible dual-fuel propulsion and an air lubrication system for more sustainable operations. The synergy of a more efficient hull and the use of low-carbon fuel in the fuel-efficient engine is expected to translate to the lowering of the overall carbon footprint of the vessel…

Australian energy transportation company Global Energy Ventures (GEV) has secured an Approval-in-Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping for its pilot-scale 430 tonne C-H2 Carrier vessel.AIP for the Handymax vessel, which GEV intends to be the first commercial-scale vessel available for the marine transport of hydrogen, follows an ABS AIP which GEV received in July this year for a compressed hydrogen vessel with a 2,000-tonne capacity.“Hydrogen has a significant role to play in global decarbonization initiatives both within shipping and the wider economy.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions of up to 21% are achievable now from LNG as a marine fuel, compared with current oil-based marine fuels over the entire life-cycle from Well-to-Wake (WtW).An independent study report confirms that emissions of other local pollutants, such as sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), are close to zero when using LNG compared with current conventional oil-based marine fuels.The study, commissioned by SEA\LNG and SGMF, was conducted by leading data and consultancy provider thinkstep according to ISO standards. The report, which has been reviewed by a panel of independent academic experts…

The global LNG bunkering market  is expected to witness a CAGR of 62.5%, and is projected to reach USD 24684.7 million by 2023, said a report by Energias Market Research. The key factors driving the growth of LNG bunkering market are  increase in LNG  demand in order to reduce the carbon footprint in the shipping industry stringent international emission policy, the best cost-effective alternative fuel and significant rise in government initiatives supporting LNG adoption. LNG Bunkering is the practice of providing liquefied natural gas fuel to a ship for its own consumption. The advantage that LNG as a fuel provides is the  reduction in pollutant caused by the traditional method of fuelling ships.

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia’s LNG MFI to jointly promote the use of liquefied natural gas as fuel. SGMF is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established since 2013 to promote safety and industry best practice in the use of gas as a marine fuel. Governed by a representative Board and driven by two principal Committees, SGMF has several working groups at any one time solving issues and producing outputs such as Guidelines and checklists for the industry. The Society has produced four ISBN publications in the past two years alone and now has over 120 international members ranging from oil majors, port authorities, fuel suppliers through to equipment manufacturers and classification societies.

Coralius, the first European built LNG bunker and distribution vessel was named Monday, May 22, by Johanna Lamminen, Chair of the Board of Skangas and Chief Executive Officer of Gasum. The 5,800 cbm vessel was commissioned by owners Anthony Veder and Sirius Shipping in 2015 and was built by Royal Bodewes. This new vessel will offer LNG bunkering services for Skangas, a subsidiary of Gasum, mainly operating in the North Sea, the Skagerak area and the Baltic Sea. With this new bunker feeder, LNG as a marine fuel will become more accessible for the Scandinavian region. The 1A Ice Classed Coralius is designed to safely discharge large quantities of LNG to its receiving vessel in a short period of time.

To develop the world’s first set of harmonised LNG bunkering standards, a network comprising Antwerp, Rotterdam, Singapore and Zeebrugge, subsequently expanded to include Jacksonville and Norway, was formed. Taking reference from documents by organisations such as the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), this set of harmonised standards  will ensure that key areas of the LNG bunkering process are aligned across ports carrying out LNG bunkering operations. The standards can also provide a guide to ports seeking to be LNG bunker-ready.

Whilst LNG has proven to be a viable option as a bunkering fuel for ships, there are still challenges to the pace of its development and demand for LNG as a fuel. One of the obstacles to the accelerated uptake is the uncertainty regarding its availability. DNV GL is undertaking a new study on the LNG market in the EU as part of its efforts to drive the development of an EU-wide network of LNG refuelling points. The company has also developed a new tool and guidelines to facilitate wider adoption. The market study is being carried out on behalf of the CORE LNGas hive project which is co-funded by the European Commission. The research aims to develop a safe and efficient…

Carnival Corporation & plc, DNV GL, ENGIE, ENN, GE, GTT, Lloyd’s Register, Mitsubishi Corporation, NYK Line, Port of Rotterdam, Qatargas, Shell, TOTE Inc. and Wärtsilä are among firms that are part of a new cross-industry initiative called SEA\LNG, to accelerate the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. Explaining the coalition’s objective, Peter Keller, chairman of SEA\LNG and executive vice president of TOTE Inc., said, “We recognize the need to work closely with key players across the value chain, including shipping companies, classification societies, ports, major LNG suppliers, downstream companies, infrastructure…

John Hatley, Vice President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions in America, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF). Wärtsilä has long been at the forefront of developing technologies to make possible the use of gas as a marine fuel, and this appointment reflects this long standing commitment. The SGMF is a new nongovernmental organization (NGO) established to promote safety and industry best practices when using gas as a marine fuel. Gas…

DNV GL’s new LNG intelligence portal (LNGi) aims to bring stakeholders from across the LNG industry together to share market intelligence and contribute to the uptake of LNG as a ship fuel. Leading LNG suppliers and engine manufacturers including, Shell, the Marine division of Rolls-Royce and MAN will be some of the first companies to use LNGi. The portal, which was launched today, allows subscribers to assess the availability of LNG fuel for specific trade routes and newbuild projects. It also provides information about current market developments, as well as status updates of other alternative fuels and emissions reduction technologies across every vessel segment.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has appointed three new members to its Management Board and one new member to the IBIA in Africa Board. The appointments were announced at the Association’s 23th annual dinner, which was held on February 8 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London. Heralding the beginning of International Petroleum week, the prestigious event attracted a record number of attendees, with over 1100 bunker industry professionals at the dinner, despite the gloomy state of the industry.

Senior U.S. Coast Guard leaders and liquefied-gas-industry experts from around the country came together the second week of December at Sector Houston-Galveston to prepare for the increased use of liquefied gases throughout the maritime community and gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies each party faces as they adapt to the rapid growth in this multibillion dollar industry. The maritime community is experiencing an international shift with the increased transport and use of liquefied gases. The increased supply created by the U.S.

Press release - Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) highlighted the issues and solutions surrounding LNG as a marine fuel at its industry forum, LNG as a Marine Fuel: Addressing the Challenges. Attended by close to 100 delegates from the ship owning, equipment manufacturing, brokering and media segments of the industry, the session was held in conjunction with London International Shipping Week 2015, which opened this Monday. Chaired by Chris Clucas, Corporate Expert - Liquefied Gas for BSM and the President of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF)…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) will be holding a forum entitled: ‘Bunkering with new fuels – Building on strong foundations’ as part of London International Shipping Week, on Wednesday 9 September. The event will include presentations from Mark Bell from SGMF (Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel), Michael Green, Global Technical Manager for Intertek Lintec, Armelle Breneol EAME Marine Fuels Logistics Advisor for ExxonMobil, Vyacheslav Mischeko from Argus Media and Nigel Draffin maritime consultant and author. The speakers will address the latest topical issues, in particular the availability of ECA compliant fuels…

The Society for Gas and Marine Fuel (SGMF) recently interviewed members with Sean Andersen and Tony Haston of Dixon Valve & Coupling, who weighed in on their company, its products, operations and place within the marine fuels industry. Dixon Valve & Coupling - who are you and what do you do? What products/services do you provide? Dixon, founded in 1916, is a premier global manufacturer and supplier of hose couplings, valves, dry disconnects, swivels and other fluid transfer and control products. Dixon provides a wide range of products for numerous industries including petroleum exploration, refining, transportation, chemical processing, food and beverage, steel, fire protection, construction, mining and manufacturing. What does Dixon hope to achieve in the next five years?

The Society for Gas and Marine Fuel (SGMF) recently interviewed one of its members, Samir Bailouni of Nakilat (Qatar Gas Transport Co.). Bailouni weights in on Nakilat, LNG, the gas industry, and SGMF membership. Who are you, and what do you do? Services you provide? Products you offer? Nakilat is a Qatari company that ships LNG from Qatar mega projects to the world. Nakilat owns into 61 LNG vessels. We own 100% of 25 of our vessels, (all 14 QMax and 11 QFlex) and the others are 43% owned on aggregate. We also co-own four VLGCs.

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) released the 1st edition of its LNG Bunkering Safety Guidelines yesterday. The goal of the document is to provide the bunkering industry with best practices in order to ensure that gas-fuelled ships are re-fuelled with high levels of safety, integrity, and reliability, the group said in a press release. The 82-page document was created by a working group featuring employees from the Swedish Marine Authority, Shell, MOL Group, Lloyd's Register, DNVGL, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, Alkane Marine and IAPH.

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) was formally launched by Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 in conjunction with the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2014. Approximately 1,600 delegates from more than 50 countries attended the event's opening ceremony, which was organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Mark Bell, General Manager of SGMF, thanked the Minister in person for his attendance and for his participation with launching SGMF.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, Singapore, will conduct SGMF’s Global Launch on Stand No. 33 on Wednesday 15th October 2014 at 10.15am in connection with SIBCON 2014 confirms SGMF’s Brand, Marketing and Membership Manager, John Saunders. ‘SGMF has already established itself in Europe and America and we believe that SIBCON 2014 presents a great opportunity for us to connect with the Asian market. Singapore, which organises the SIBCON event, are founding members of SGMF’ Saunders added. SGMF, The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel, is a new non-governmental organisation (NGO) established to promote safety and industry best practice in the use of gas as a marine fuel. ‘Inspiring responsible future shipping’ is SGMF’s vision, Mark Bell, General Manager, quoted.

GTT opened a U.K. branch office to continue providing the LNG Industry with additional services and support. GTT said it plans to utilize its expertise and experience in the design of LNG containment systems and the associated cargo equipment and infrastructure to help the industry continue its development. GTT’s U.K. team, led by Ray Gillett, will focus on developing new tools and services that maximize GTT’s expertise in specific areas to help address some of the issues that the LNG industry may encounter as it expands. The team will also assist operators in maximizing the operational effectiveness of the systems in which they are involved. GTT’s U.K.

The November 2013 edition of Lloyd’s Register’s Gas Technology Report is dedicated to LNG as a marine fuel. Highlights include a look at developments in Canada – a shipowner, the regulator and a shipbuilder talk about gas fuelled shipping, progress made by the Maritime and Port Authority in Singapore to develop LNG bunkering, the CEO of Viking Line talks about the LR classed Viking Grace and interviews with SIGTTO and the newly formed Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF). Luis Benito…

The Society For Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) is launched as new Non-Governmental Organisation to enhance safety and best practices in the use of LNG as a ship fuel. Following a decision to proceed by the Board of Directors of the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) at its spring meeting in Houston, the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) is to be established as a new non-governmental organisation (NGO). “The use of LNG as a marine fuel presents a major challenge for the shipping industry over the coming years,” states Luc Gillet, SIGTTO President. “I am pleased that SIGTTO is playing a leading role in the launch of this new NGO.