Gothenburg set to launch LNG bunker facility in August

Port prepares for growth in LNG bunker demand and the industry's transition to renewable gas.

At berth 519 (where the red ship in the picture is located), LNG bunkering will be possible via pipeline (pipe-to-jetty) directly to ships. Image credit: Port of Gothenburg

Updated on 04 Jun 2018 12:06 GMT

Swedegas's new LNG bunkering facility in Gothenburg is set to become operational in August, Port of Gothenburg reports. With the launch of the new facility, customers calling at the port will be able to bunker LNG either ship-to-ship, directly from a road truck or pipe-to-jetty. All three methods will be possible whilst vessels are loading or unloading. Scalable biogas facility The Swedegas facility will be supplied with LNG via trailers or tank containers, which will be unloaded at a discharge station. The gas will then be distributed via pipeline to the vessels at the quayside. The facility is scalable and can be expanded to meet the needs of the market. It also has the capability to receive liquefied biogas (LBG). "We always build infrastructure that can handle both natural gas and renewable gas. It must be simple for shipping to gradually increase the mix of renewable gas as the transition progresses," said Johan Zettergren, Swedegas chief executive. Skangas and Barents NaturGass LNG supplier Skangas is already operating in Gothenburg, supplying ships with LNG using the ship-to-ship delivery method. And Port of Gothenburg last week confirmed that it had entered into an agreement with Norway's Barents NaturGass for the supply of LNG via ISO containers from key European terminals. Building for growth In terms of LNG bunkering statistics, Gothenburg has recorded positive growth since the first LNG bunkering operation in the autumn of 2016. In the first full year, 111 LNG-fuelled ships called at the port. This year, meanwhile, LNG was bunkered on 44 occasions between January and April. Jill Soderwall, Head of Commercial Operations at the Energy Port, remarked: "We can see that the demand for LNG will increase at the Port of Gothenburg, and it is vital that the number of alternatives continues to grow. With the Swedegas facility, the port will have more LNG choices than previously on a competitive market with several gas suppliers, whilst at the same time there will be a larger range of bunkering methods. This will offer greater flexibility, more stable access, and better service for LNG purchasers."