Port of Antwerp Bunkers First LNG-Fueled Seagoing Ship
The 2,700 cbm coastal tanker Sefarina on Monday became the first seagoing ship to be bunkered with liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
LNG bunkering has been possible in Antwerp for some time, but so far it has been used only for barges, with the LNG being supplied by trucks.
The recent truck-to-ship bunkering of the Sefarina now counts as a test case for the safety procedures that will apply to bunkering of seagoing ships.
Antwerp Port Authority has recently issued a tender for construction and operation of an LNG bunkering and filling station under a concession on its quay 528.
The aim is for barges to be able to bunker with LNG in the port of Antwerp at a permanent facility by the beginning of 2019 at the latest.
Interested parties have until October 5 to submit their project proposals. The Port Authority does not exclude the possibility of transhipment of LNG from feeder ships, transhipment of LNG by trucks and LNG/CNG filling facilities for road users also being developed on the site. It is also possible for other fuels to be stored or made available on the site.
