Evol LNG, the provider of liquefied natural gas, completed the first commercial LNG bunkering operations in Australia.
Under a contract with Australian LNG player Woodside, Wesfarmers’ Evol LNG bunkered the chilled fuel to the platform supply vessel, Siem Thiima, on January 23 at King Bay supply base near Dampier. The vessel then bunkered LNG at Freemantle Port on February 19, Evol LNG said on Monday.
The vessel is owned by the Norwegian company Siem Offshore and is under a five-year charter contract with Woodside.
LNG for the bunkering operations will initially be delivered from Evol LNG’s Kwinana plant.
The company’s business manager, Nick Rea , said that the increase in numbers of LNG-fueled ships in operation worldwide to over 75 has been driven by the International Maritime Organization regulations and the introduction of emission control areas in Europe and North America.
Rea expects around 80 LNG-fueled vessels to be built in the next three years.
To cover the possible demand for LNG bunkering in the future, Evol LNG intends to obtain licenses from other major Australian and regional WA ports to conduct LNG bunkering operations and looks at investing in infrastructure to meet the market’s needs.
Evol LNG received its second Australian port bunkering license from Pilbara Ports Authority, permitting LNG bunkering at King Bay Supply Base and transport through the Port of Dampier. This followed its first license from Fremantle Ports in July last year.