LNG

Titan LNG, a Dutch supplier to the marine and industrial markets with quayside and ship-to-ship delivery of LNG to river barges and sea-going ships in the ports such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp has commissioned a short-term LNG truck-loading facility in the Belgian Port of Zeebrugge.

Titan said its “Project Bridge” has been designed to accommodate LNG truck-loadings as an interim solution during a four-week period in which the Dutch Gate LNG import terminal in Rotterdam is undergoing essential maintenance.

“The Titan LNG chartered ‘Green Zeebrugge’ is filling up trucks at the quay of the PSA terminal in Zeebrugge to serve bunkering customers in the ARA region, Zeebrugge, and surrounding areas,” explained Titan.

Equipped with two loading bays, the interim fuelling station was commissioned and developed by Titan LNG’s in-house team, in collaboration with small-scale LNG market participants to trial the project’s operations.

To ensure safety the HAZOP and HAZID sessions were performed at short notice.

The Port Authorities of Zeebrugge and the terminal were involved in initial plans for the project to ensure compliance for this temporary set-up, including the step-by-step protocols and designs.

The facility was assembled and is being operated by Rijlaarsdam Tech, Titan LNG’s project partners.

“Operator Rijlaarsdam and Titan LNG passed the vetting and approval process due to the preparation and robustness of the documentation and training of the crew on the quay, providing confidence to the Authorities that safe operations could be carried out for the duration of the four-week period,” said Titan.

“During normal operations, the GATE terminal loads some 600 trailers per month and the Fluxys terminal in Zeebrugge cannot fill this demand for extra slots, meaning it would not have sufficient capacity to ensure the demand for the downstream market,” added the Dutch company.

The project aims to handle additional LNG demand coming to Zeebrugge starting from mid-July of this year and is expected to fulfil up to 300 orders during its deployment.

“This is an immensely proud moment for the team at Titan LNG and for the LNG market sector,” said Michael Schaap, Titan LNG’s Commercial Director of Marine.

“It takes LNG terminals years to install this functionality, and we did it in a matter of months. I would like to thank all our project partners for the hard work and perseverance that went into this success,” stated Schaap.

Tom van den Akker, Project Manager at Titan LNG, said that “Project Bridge” required a broad range of competencies and resources from Titan LNG, including safety managers, operations, engineering, and the commercial department.

“The complexity of the project and the innovation required, in addition to the short deadlines certainly presented some challenges,” explained Akker.

“Our project team successfully hit the milestones that were planned, and we’re extremely proud to bring the solution to the market,” he added.

Current truck loadings are done daily during weekdays, while the “Green Zeebrugge” will load LNG from the Fluxys terminal in Zeebrugge on Saturdays and Sundays to replenish the FlexFueler bunker barges in the ARA area.

Following the completion of the “Bridge” project at Zeebrugge, Titan aims to deploy the same facility to other locations across the European Union. 

The LNG Marine Fuel Institute formed in Australia to help improve access to bunkering has praised the first move by the Pilbara Port Authority in Western Australia to issue a ship-to-ship LNG bunkering licences to plant operator Woodside.

LNG MFI Chief Executive Margot Matthews said Pilbara Port and Woodside had executed non-exclusive licences to provide ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services at the ports of Port Hedland and Dampier, the first licences of their type issued in Australia.

“Since 2017 LNG MFI has worked to bring together key players to develop a cleaner marine fuel industry in Australia as we lower emissions for a better future and it’s exciting to see this now moving full steam ahead,” Matthews explained.

LNG MFI is an independent not for profit organisation established to enable LNG, the cleanest alternative available, to be a primary fuel for marine transportation.

The body is also supporting the plans by commodities giant BHP to use LNG as fuel for future iron ore carriers on the Australia-Asia trade route.

LNG MFI’s position is that Australia can meet and exceed the new International Maritime Organization 2020 regulations by establishing early adoption of LNG as a transition marine fuel and providing the Australasian maritime industry with a superior and cost effective fuel source

Pilbara Ports Authority’s General Manager Development & Trade, Lyle Banks, said the Authority has issued three licences for LNG bunkering operations in the Pilbara.

“In addition to Woodside’s ship-to-ship licences, a truck-to-ship LNG bunkering licence was issued to Evol LNG in early 2017,” added Banks.

“Western Australia is well-placed to become an LNG bunkering hub, with LNG production facilities close to large iron ore mining operations and the many hundreds of ocean-going vessels that use ports in the Pilbara region,” stated banks.

Woodside Executive Vice President Marketing for Trading and Shipping, Reinhardt Matisons, described working with Pilbara Ports Authority to finalise LNG bunkering licences “as a key step in developing an LNG fuels industry” in Western Australia.

“Woodside is finalising plans for an LNG bunkering operation in the Pilbara to capture the significant environmental and economic benefits of using LNG, instead of fuel oil, for the busy iron ore shipping trade,” added Matisons.

“We continue to work with potential customers on this opportunity,” he said.

LNG MFI’s CEO Matthews expects Australia to play a leading regional role in LNG fuel.

“While there’s no single pathway to a low emissions future, expanding the use of LNG as a transition marine fuel is one way to help reduce greenhouse gases from shipping and help reduce this country’s environmental footprint,” said Matthews.