Gazprom Germaina and Hafen-Entwicklungs-gesellschaft Rostock mbH, the operator of the Baltic Sea port of Rostock, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development, marketing and usage of LNG in road transport and shipping in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The companies both wish to develop alternative sales channels for LNG, and providing the infrastructure for LNG bunkering represents a significant step towards this.
Implementing LNG bunkering infrastructure at Germany’s largest multi-purpose Baltic Sea port will enable LNG delivery to Germany.
The Gazprom Group is also investigating transporting LNG from intermediate storage to independent gas utilities by truck and supplying it for use in natural gas vehicles (NGVs). The LNG will be shipped from the planned liquefaction plant in the Gulf of Finland.
Ulrich Bauermeister, Managing Director of Hafen-Entwicklungsgesellschaft Rostock, said: “We look forward to working with Gazprom. LNG has the best environment and safety balance of all the fuels used to power ships, and that allows shippers to meet the high environmental protection requirements.”
Stricter environmental standards will apply to shipping in the North Sea and Baltic Sea from 2015. Under the new standards, shipping fuel will be allowed to contain just 0.1% sulfur instead of the 1.0% currently permitted.
Adapted from press release by Ted Monroe