Image: Skangas

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Skangas confirmed on Monday that it completed 1,000 LNG bunkering operations in 2017, representing an increase of more than 60 percent on previous years.

According to Skangas, 60 percent of the 1,000 operations were via truck-to-ship deliveries in port; 38 percent were terminal-to-ship operations (including Skangas's LNG production facility); and 2 percent were ship-to-ship in port or at sea.

Skangas says the key reason for the rise in LNG bunkering activities lies in the supply to new vessels - both for regular routes and the tramp/spot market.

"As more and more operators convert their ships to clean fuel with LNG and dual-fuelled engines to power them, demand has risen significantly," remarked Gunnar Helmen, Sales Manager - Marine for Skangas. "This is particularly true in European waters where, until recently, most of the traffic consisted of ferries and RoPax cruise ferries routinely traveling set routes. Today, the supply pattern is more diverse due to the use of a greater variety of vessels that require different types of bunkering solutions. And we are responding directly by offering a number of solutions for this market."

Skangas was also keen to stress that it has made a concerted effort to make LNG more accessible. In addition to expanding infrastructure and improving bunkering techniques, the company put its new chartered bunker-feeder vessel Coralius into operation. The 5,800-cubic-metre-capacity Coralius - the first Europe-built LNG bunker vessel - was delivered to Skangas on September 2. The ship is equipped with LNG transfer equipment on board and the flat working deck is said to have been especially engineered for safe side-by-side operations.

As a result of the addition of the Coralius, which delivers LNG via ship-to-ship bunkering at sea, Skangas says it has improved the company's ability to be more flexible and responsive to vessels that require LNG without visiting a terminal or port.

Looking ahead, Skangas expects marine demand for LNG to increase significantly during the coming years. "Already, the number of bunkering operations we've executed for the marine market is higher than in Q1 2017," said Helmen.

"Clearly, 2018 is set to be another exciting year for Skangas, as we continue to provide readily accessible LNG to industries that operate at sea and onshore throughout the Nordics," Helmen added.