ALTERNATIVE FUELS GREENPORT

First LNG bunkering at Swedegas Gothenburg

8 years ago

Terntank’s ‘Tern Sea’ tanker has become the first vessel to be bunkered with LNG and liquefied biogas (LBG) at a new Port of Gothenburg-based Swedegas bunkering facility opened to help the shipping sector move to cleaner emissions.

The Swedegas facility is designed to handle both LNG and LBG and is the first in Sweden that allows tankers to bunker from a fixed pipeline as they load and discharge, reducing the turnaround time considerably. The LNG and LBG was supplied by Norwegian company Barents NaturGass.

“Being able to offer this unique opportunity represents a major breakthrough, not only in facilitating the transition to LNG, but also in gradually increasing the proportion of renewable gas,” said Johan Zettergren, chief executive of Swedegas.

Dual focus

“LNG is the first step. The ambition to increase the volume of biogas has taken a new turn, as this technology and related infrastructure work equally well for both gases,” said Tryggve Möller, CEO of Terntank Ship Management, which has invested in LNG-powered vessels chartered by NEOT.

The LBG was produced by FordonsGas at its facility in Lidköping, north of Gothenburg.

Terntank’s first LNG-powered vessel was delivered in 2016 and the company now has four similar vessels.

In 2015, the Gothenburg Port Authority introduced an environmental discount on the port charge as part of a drive to increase the number of calls by vessels powered by LNG. The discount is currently in place until 2020.