LNG

Chinese shipyards are benefiting from the surge in orders for newbuilds from the liquefied natural gas sector and more LNG berths are being made available, while oil and petroleum product tankers and containership orders are also increasing.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), a leading Japanese shipping company and FueLNG, a Singaporean joint venture, have completed the first bunkering in Singapore of an LNG-fuelled Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) as the Asian city state increases its LNG bunkering market presence.

Cameron LNG, the US plant operated by Sempra, has signed an accord with power company Entergy Louisiana to negotiate the terms and conditions for a new electric service agreement (ESA) to reduce the liquefaction and export plant’s Scope 2 emissions from the electricity it purchases from Entergy.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, the Japanese shipping company known as NYK Line which has a US LNG investment and a fleet of 660 vessels from tankers to containerships and car carriers, has signed six long-term charters for LNG carriers with China National Offshore Oil Corp.

Sempra Infrastructure, the liquefaction and LNG export affiliate of California utility Sempra, has signed an agreement with French and Japanese partners to develop the expansion project of the Cameron LNG export plant in Hackberry in Louisiana.

Four long-standing LNG sector participants from Japan, along with the Sultanate of Brunei in South East Asia, have successfully completed the world’s first global hydrogen supply chain demonstration and are progressing towards semi-commercialization.

Sea-LNG, a global coalition led by energy and shipping companies backing the increased use of liquefied natural gas as a maritime fuel, said the LNG and energy Port of Corpus Christi, the largest in the United States by total revenue tonnage, has become the latest member.

The Port of Corpus Christi in Texas is the fourth North American port to join the coalition but is the first port located on the strategic, energy-rich Gulf of Mexico.

Since launching in July 2016, Sea-LNG’s membership has grown from 13 to more than 40 members from leading global companies,
“The Port of Corpus Christi is one of the United States’ leading energy ports, and has been quick to appreciate the importance of LNG into its bunker offering,” said Peter Keller, Chairman of Sea-LNG.

“ We’re delighted to welcome this forward thinking and innovative port into our membership at a time when the maritime sector continues to aggressively work to decarbonise its operations as well as reduce local emissions harmful to human health,” added Kellner.

The Port of Corpus Christi’s decision to join Sea-LNG was a part of its commitment to environmental stewardship.

The Port purchases 100 percent of its power from renewable sources, is upgrading its vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid technology, and is creating a technological advancement programme for emissions control and decarbonisation.

“As the leading energy port in the Americas, the Port of Corpus Christi considers LNG indispensable in our energy export portfolio, with the expansion of local operations helping to propel the United States as a top global LNG exporter,” said Port of Corpus Christi Chief Executive Sean Strawbridge.

“By joining Sea-LNG, we’re sending a clear message that LNG as a marine fuel aligns with our ambition to strengthen our competitiveness in LNG as a leading fuel for the transport sector,” added

Sea-LNG has members across the entire LNG value chain including providers of the product, users, engine and asset suppliers, and class societies.

The group is already recognised as an international leader in LNG matters. Each member organisation commits mutually agreed human resources, data analysis and knowledge sharing.

Sea-LNG said it regarded itself as a driver in a multi-sector industry aiming for a global adoption of LNG to create cleaner shipping by 2025.

Sea-LNG’s other members include: ABS, Carnival Corp., Chart Industries, Clean Marine Energy, DNV GL, Eagle LNG Partners, Fearnleys, FortisBC, Gasum AS, GE Marine, GTT, JAX LNG, “K” LINE Group, Lloyd’s Register, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and NYK Line.

The membership list additionally includes The Port of Long Beach, Port of Rotterdam, Port of Virginia, Qatargas, Shell, Société Générale, Sohar Port & Freezone, Stabilis Energy, Sumitomo Corp., Total, TOTE Inc., Toyota Tsusho, Uyeno Group of Companies, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Wärtsilä, and Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corp.

JERA Co. Inc., the largest Japanese LNG buyer, said it formally started its LNG bunkering business in the Chubu region of Japan through the nation’s first ship-to-ship fuel operation by the Central LNG joint venture.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has held a naming ceremony at the Sakaide shipyard for Japan’s first liquefied natural gas bunkering vessel, the “Kaguya”, as Japanese companies respond to the International Maritime Organization’s campaign for cleaner fuel in the shipping industry.

Dec 27 (LNGJ) - Japanese utility Kyushu Electric Power Co. said it signed long-term transport agreements for the world’s first LNG-powered large coal carriers with the shipping companies, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and Mitsui OSK Lines.

   The two newbuild vessels will be delivered from Japanese shipyards in 2023 to import coal for Kyushu Electric’s coal-fired power plants. The LNG will be supplied to fuel the coal carriers at the loading facility of Kitakyushu LNG Co., a Kyushu Electric subsidiary. “NYK, MOL and Kyushu Electric aim to positively collaborate for sustainable marine transportation of coal, with the reduction of its environmental impact,” they said.