Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has published a set of guidelines on LNG bunkering in an attempt to encourage the adoption of LNG as a fuel for ships.
Jean-Francois Segretain, Technical Director, Marine and Offshore Division, BV praised the immense potential of LNG as a clean fuel for shipping. However, he said: “fears over its availability in the bunker chain are holding back owners from adopting it. Part of the issue is that ports and terminals wishing to provide LNG as bunkers and shipowners wishing to have LNG-powered ships do not have agreed international standard bunker procedures to work to […] We hope that these guidelines will give ports, terminals, LNG suppliers and shipowners confidence to proceed.”
BV’s Guidance on LNG Bunkering NI 618 provides recommendations on LNG bunkering, and focuses on the framework that should be established with the port authorities and the bunkering organisations before any commercial operation, conditions to be observed before, during and after each bunkering operation, management of emergency situations and staff training in bunkering operations.
Segretain continued: “We have done a lot of work on risk analysis for LNG bunkering, helping owners such as Brittany Ferries make the decision to switch to LNG as a fuel. Our risk management expertise combined with our deep LNG experience means we can help everyone involved to be more confident of a safe and standard approach to LNG bunkering.
“LNG is the future”
“We are not talking about specifying the equipment, which will be done by the ISO, we are talking about managing the risks and getting the procedures and people part of this right. We can also provide training for all the personnel involved, from the senior ship management and the engineer receiving the LNG and the port management and LNG bunker staff delivering it. LNG is the future, and confidence in safe handling of it is the key to progress. We can deliver that confidence.”
Adapted from press release by Ted Monroe