A joint seminar of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) and Gazprom Marketing and Trading on Gas Fuelled Ships will be held in St.Petersburg today.
The concept of the use of Methane as a main propulsion fuel on non-LNG vessels has been a matter of industry discussion over recent years. An existing regional fleet of gas powered ships attests to its feasibility in particular trades and routes. Recent interest has focussed on widening the use of methane fuel as a low environmental impact alternative for shipping propulsion.
With LNG being the most efficient means of carrying bunkers for such vessels, the current focus is on LNG fuel and gas fuelled vessels. There is evidence that sectors of the shipping industry will move towards adopting this option, both for its reduced environmental impact, and economic value. This seminar will explore and discuss the many issues surrounding this concept, and will bring the expertise of Classification Societies, Engine manufacturers and Gas companies to bear on the issue of LNG as a fuel in various vessel types. It will explore the drivers, the science, the engineering, the economics and the legislation that surround adoption of LNG fuel for real projects in the current economic and regulatory climate.
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LNG World News Staff, February 24, 2012; Image: ABS