Antwerp celebrates LNG first

While LNG bunkering has been available at the port since 2012, so far it’s only been used for barges, with the LNG being supplied by trucks.

A truck collects LNG at the LNG import terminal in Zeebrugge and brings it to the quay in Antwerp where it is pumped into the ship, a procedure known as truck-to-ship bunkering. The recent truck-to-ship bunkering of Sefarina now counts as a test case for the safety procedures that will apply to bunkering of seagoing ships.

As part of its sustainability policy, Antwerp Port Authority aims to encourage and offer the use of LNG as ship’s fuel and is therefore looking for a candidate to build and operate an LNG bunkering and filling station under a concession on quay 528.

The Authority says its aim is for barges to be able to bunker with LNG at Antwerp at a permanent facility by the beginning of 2019 at the latest.