Among the biggest challenges involves today the Oil Companies it is important the ability to respond to the needs of the marine environment preservation.
Eni is strictly committed in the reduction of CO2, NOX and SOX emissions.
Due to increasingly stricter environmental regulations controlling air pollution from ships implemented through International Maritime Organization (IMO) Annex VI and the other local air quality controls, together with the potential for favourable price conditions, the use of LNG as a fuel, instead of conventional residual or distillate marine fuels, is expected to become more widely adopted in the future.
LNG has different hazards than traditional fuel oil; therefore, operators must clearly understand the risks involves with LNG bunkering.
The primary driver for selecting LNG as fuel were competitive pricing in terms of long-term prospect and environmental stewardship and sustainability. Companies view this conversion as a significant step to reduce their CO2 footprint, which is a major concern to customers across industry that are prioritizing "greener" ship design with technology aimed at reducing emissions.
Another deciding factor is the age of the existing fleet. For new vessels the life cycle economics favoured conversion at the time of consideration. For older vessels, on the other hand, new build programs provided the opportunity for new LNG OSV construction.
Companies which adopt LNG as a fuel, should expect to invest more time to maintain and care for their vessels to meet 30 year life cycle, but on the positive side, the use of LNG, with its lower carbon content, move out as much as 80% longer some of the maintenance intervals.
In terms of obstacles faced following the initial decision, early adopters unanimously agree that one of the biggest challenges has involved learning the myriad complexities of the operation and project work scope, not only technically, but also from a regulatory standpoint; requiring as a consequence a full-time commitment to the project by all Stakeholders (Companies, Local and International Administration, Shipyards, etc.).
