Antwerp Port Seeks Inputs on Setting-up LNG bunkering

By Joseph R. Fonseca September 20, 2014

By the beginning of 2016 the port of Antwerp will have an LNG bunkering and filling station for barges.

The procedure for construction of the station is currently under way. In order to brief the future constructor as fully as possible about the facilities that the station must offer, the Port Authority has launched a brief survey of potential users. As a result of this consultation the Port Authority hopes to get input on questions such as which types of customer the facility must serve, and whether the user/operator has a preference for particular technologies. Based on the answers received, the Port authority will refine the specifications for construction of the LNG bunkering and filling station.

Current procedure

In July 2014 the Port Authority issued a European call for candidates to build an LNG bunkering and filling station for barges.

Various candidates put themselves forward in the month that followed. The next step will be for the Port Authority to supply the selected candidates with the contract specifications. In a parallel process another call has been launched with the aim of appointing a candidate to operate the facility in the form of a concession.

Input from potential users

In the technical specifications for the facility the Port Authority wishes to take maximum account of the preferences of potential customers/operators of the installation. The questionnaire drawn up for this can be completed up until 1100 hours on 9 October 2014. On the basis of the answers received, the Port Authority will consider the possibility of organising a round table discussion with the interested respondents on Tuesday 14 October.

LNG Master Plan

With the construction of an LNG bunkering and filling station, Antwerp Port Authority is pioneering the way for others to follow.

The project is being partly financed by the European Commission as part of the LNG Master Plan, a project to promote the use of LNG by European barges.