The shipping industry is on the cusp of great change in improving itsenvironmental emissions profile and particularly those to air. Amongst otherfactors, forthcoming international environmental legislation and legislationalready in place nationally and regionally has driven the emerging use ofliquefied natural gas (LNG) as a potential clean fuel option. Whilst LNG hasbeen used for more than 40 years on board the world's LNG carrier fleet, it isa relatively new application in other shipping sectors such as Offshore SupportVessels (OSVs).
As a result, LNG fuelled vessel designs are being developed globally for thismarket including OSVs and indeed various LNG fuelled vessels have beendelivered or ordered.
Global LNG shore infrastructure is presently limited to LNG terminals focussedon the LNG shipping industry and for the few LNG fuelled vessel applicationssuch as passenger ferries, small scale stations consisting of either bunkeringdirect from shore installation or from LNG distribution truck.
Based on internal development with engineering partners and with learning fromthe existing LNG shipping industry, this paper will describe LNG bunkeringtechnology options for small and larger scale bunkering stations includingharbour bunkering from a barge, that will be required for a wider range of LNGfuelled applications across the shipping industry, including OSV application. Since the concepts are immature, regulatory regimes are presently in similarcondition and as such, the paper will address the codes, standards and featuresanticipated in LNG bunkering.
Since the emergence of LNG as a fuel will potentially have a substantial effecton shipping arguably not seen in more than 25 years, the development of LNGfuelling transfer technology that captures existing and novel LNG transferdesign and practice for application in the offshore oil industry is a keyenabler for achieving improved emissions targets in the offshore support andother shipping sectors.
