Friday, April 11, 2014

Survey: LNG Usage Developing Fast in Coming Years

By Mark Edward Nero

Liquefied natural gas could account for 13 percent of the bunker fuel market supply by 2020 and 24 percent by 2025, according to a newly released study by Lloyd’s Register.

The results of the 2014 Lloyd's Register’s LNG Bunkering Infrastructural Survey were released April 7. The report surveyed 22 major ports around the globe, including those in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Shipowner demand for LNG was found to be the biggest driver from the ports’ perspective, with the availability of LNG infrastructure being the second most important driver.

Among the report’s other key findings:
  • Fifty-nine percent of the ports surveyed have specific plans for LNG bunkering infrastructure. Lack of in-port infrastructure will not hamper LNG bunker delivery plans.
  • Seventy-six percent of the ports believe that LNG bunkering operations will commence at their port within five years.
  • Seventy-three percent of ports say that LNG will be supplied by existing onshore LNG terminals. In the short term, ports will rely on third party specialist suppliers to supply gas from terminals to ship – mainly by either truck or bunker barge.
  • In the longer term, 47 percent of ports said they will have dedicated LNG storage capability for bunkering.
  • Eighty-six percent of the ports surveyed indicate that it is either likely (54 percent) or very likely (32 percent) that demand for LNG will be from deep-sea ships within a three to 10-year time horizon.

The study also found that no significant change in bunker delivery methods is anticipated – for example, if HFO bunkers are being supplied by barge today it is expected that LNG will be delivered by barge in future.

The complete survey can be seen at http://go.lrenergy.org/lngsurvey2014.