Gas Bunkering: L'Autorità Marittima Danese lancia uno studio di fattibilità e invoca il sostegno UE

Quella che segue è una sintesi ottenuta annodando vari postings pubblicati dalla  DMA(Autorità Danese) sul suo sito ufficiale. Dà l'idea di quanto lo shipping nordeuropeo  avverta la necessità di dotarsi in tempo utile di alternative al bunkeraggio tradizionale, che dal 2015 diventerà onerosissimo per l'obbligo di passare da 1.0 a a 0.10% di zolfo, come dire da olio combustibile a gasolio. Uno switch che già oggi costerebbe qualcosa come +300$/tonn e probabilmente provocherebbe la riconversione da via mare a via terra di molto dello short-sea-shipping baltico.   

            Tough sulphur limits will create green opportunities.    

              (But the infrastructures will have to be in place)

The introduction of stricter sulphur regulations from 1 January 2015 in the Baltic, the North Sea and the English Channel will pressurise the competitiveness of short-sea shipping due to the considerable difference in price between ordinary types of ship’s fuels with a 1.0% sulphur content and bunker oil with a 0.1%sulphur, but at the same time opens up to alternative technologies if they let comply.
LNG is is amongst them.

However, before LNG can become a real alternative to liquid bunkers, a number of challenges must be faced and resolved. The need of an infrastructure of LNG filling stations is the most prominent, as it requires large investments if it is to cover a vast geographical area.

The fundamental problem is that the shipping industry would invest to convert to LNG only if gas bunkering becomes easily available, while on the other hand gas suppliers would invest only if LNG demand is concrete and rewarding. A “chicken and egg” type dilemma 
which keeps both sides, shipowners and gas suppliers on the sideline.

The Danish Maritime Authority has accordingly taken two steps:

1. issue a public tender to commission a Study Project on the establishment of an LNG infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel based on a feasibility study of central enablers with the aim of making LNG a competitive fuel for shipping in the mentioned sea areas.

2.  address the EU Commission for support to the Study Project

If the EU will give support, the study work will commence in the spring of 2011 and will be finalised during the first quarter of 2012.

   The following parties will take part in the project:

•       States: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway.

•       The Nordic Council of Ministers.

•     Ports: Port of Hirtshals (DK), Port of Zeebrugge (BE), and Szczecin and Swinoujscie seaports Authority (PL).

•     LNG terminals and gas companies: Fluxys (BE), Gasum (FI), Gasunie (NL), Energinet.dk (DK), Energigas Sverige (SE) and Gasnor (NO).

•    The maritime cluster: Germanischer Lloyd (DE), MAN Diesel and Turbo (DK) and Lauritzen Kosan A/S (DK)

Link: http://www.dma.dk/news/Sider/TenderforananalysisofthepossibilityofanLNGfillingstationinfrastructure.aspx