LOTOS and PGNiG: first commercial bunkering of ships in Polish seaports with liquefied natural gas

– Bunking of ships with liquefied natural gas constitutes another of the many possibilities of using gas, which PGNiG brings to Poland from Qatar, Norway and the USA through the President Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal in Świnoujście. We are convinced that the fuel is, among other things, due to its ecological qualities, the future of maritime transport in the Baltic – says Maciej Woźniak, Vice President of the Management Board of PGNiG SA for Commercial Affairs

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– The LOTOS Group is keen to engage in alternative fuels projects, which is part of the strategy for the development of our capital group for 2017-2022. LOTOS wants to take the lead in implementing new generation alternative fuels, and this certainly includes LNG. It's clean and safe fuel. The key to further increasing its popularity is the development of the logistics and bunker infrastructure of LNG. Therefore, as the LOTOS Group, we are involved in the project of the feasibility study on the construction of a small-scale LNG handling terminal in Gdańsk, which is co-financed by the European Union (CEF) – says Patryk Demski, Vice President of the Management Board of the LOTOS S.A. Group for investment and innovation.

– The cooperation of the LOTOS and PGNiG Group has been going on for many years. PGNiG is a natural gas supplier for the LOTOS Group, and the LOTOS Group uses this fuel in oil refining processes. Cooperation has been very successful. Both companies exploit each other's experiences. On the one hand, they are knowledge of the marine fuel market, and on the other: on the specificity of LNG – added Cezary Godziuk, President of the LOTOS Asfalt Management Board.

On March 13, this year, 54 tons of LNG (32,000 Nm3 gas) were injected into the vessels of the "Fure Valo" vessel. The unit belongs to a Swedish shipowner who plans to further develop the LNG fleet and is expected to have six such vessels by the end of the year. The second bunkering took place on 18 March. 18 tons of LNG (10.800 Nm3) from one tanker were sent to the tanks of the "Ireland" ship.

"I am glad that, as announced last year, we conducted the first fully commercial bunkering of LNG ships in Poland. This is a milestone towards the development of this market in Polish seaports, which will significantly increase their competitiveness. I would particularly like to emphasize the model cooperation in bunkering ships with both the Port of Gdańsk and the Port of Gdynia – says Henryk Mucha, president of PGNiG Detailional Rotation Sp. z o.o.

According to the Directive on the development of alternative fuel infrastructure, an adequate number of LNG bunkering points should be established in seaports by the end of 2025 at the latest. In the case of Poland, these are to be: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście. From now on, the LNG bunkering service enters the permanent offer of both operators and can be provided in both tri-city ports.

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– The interest in bunkering in Polish ports among shipowners is very large. This is due to the growing awareness that LNG – as an alternative shipping fuel – is the only mature solution that can meet current and future emission standards, while at the same time cost-effectiveness – says Marcin Szczudło, vice president of PGNiG Detail for CNG/LNG.

LNG will also become popular due to the adoption of the so-called "sulfide directive". The European Commission plans to completely eliminate emissions from maritime transport by 2050. This means more restrictive standards for Central and Eastern Europe than in other parts of the world. The Sulphur Directive requires shipowners whose vessels operate in the SECA (Sulphur Emission Control Areas), including the Baltic and North Sea, to use fuels with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.1%.

Source of PGNiG/Lotos.