Depa, Attica Group to study LNG bunkering

Joint study to look into the feasibility of supplying Attica's fleet with LNG fuel.

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Updated on 09 Dec 2016 13:55 GMT

Attica Group has signed a memorandum of cooperation with natural gas company Depa concerning the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the ferry operator's fleet of vessels. The two Greek companies are to carry out a joint study to examine the parameters and conditions for the use of LNG by Attica Group's passenger ships. Both companies are to make a decision regarding future cooperation once the results of the study have been compiled. Attica Group and Depa are participating in the Poseidon Med II project, the aim of which is to bring practical solutions for the adoption of LNG as an environmentally friendly, safe, and viable alternative bunker fuel for the shipping industry. It is partially funded by the European Union and operates in Greece, Italy, and Cyprus. George Polychroniou, Executive Director of Depa, is Project Manager. A current initiative of Poseidon Med II is a plan to develop an LNG bunkering infrastructure at the Greek port of Patras. A workshop was held in June to discuss technical aspects of the project, and the parties involved got to discuss a feasibility plan for implementing an LNG bunkering operation at the port, as well as where and how facilities could be installed. Other ports included in the programme, as well as Patras, are Piraeus, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, Venice and Limassol. The Poseidon Med II project has a budget of around EUR 53.3 million, which is 50 percent funded by the European Commission's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and the other half is financed by the 26 partners in the programme. In addition to LNG, Attica Group has also been involved in another fuel-related initiative: Eco Marine Power's Blue Star Delos Renewable Energy Innovation Project is designed to make shipping more sustainable through the use of renewable energy and fuel-reduction solutions on board ships. The project involves the implementation and operation of a solar photovoltaic unit aboard Attica's Blue Star Delos ship, which operates in the Aegean Sea. Attica, a member of the Marfin Investment Group, is active in the passenger shipping sector with the brands Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries in the Adriatic Sea, and Hellenic Sea Lines in Cyclades, Dodecanese, Northeastern Aegean Islands and Crete. Depa is the the public natural gas supply corporation of Greece; it is owned by the government of Greece (65%) and Hellenic Petroleum (35%).