Duisport and RWE Supply & Trading have committed to jointly develop the necessary infrastructure to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Duisburg port.
The project has received a €750,000 ($905,000) grant from the European Regional Development Fund.
The partners plan to develop and implement a joint and sustainable logistics concept for the provision, storage, distribution and utilization of LNG, according to a joint statement. The partners have previously been working together to evaluate the possible application of LNG to replace diesel fuels. A space for the new LNG service station has already been chosen.
Speaking of the project, Andree Stracke , member of the executive board of RWE Supply & Trading, said that “as the biggest inland port in the world it has a perfect connection to all traffic channels.” Not only vessels, trains, port vehicles and lorries, but also the Rhein-Ruhr region’s industries and dense population offer excellent opportunities including a large potential consumer base.
As a first step, a mobile fuel pump will be installed that can be easily relocated if needed. This pump will be used in the pilot phase to supply LNG to port vehicles, know as reach stacker and terminal towing vehicles, as well as lorries from local logistics companies. The vehicles will be converted to LNG supply and thoroughly tested in daily operations.
The investment required for this first step amount to about half a million euro. According to a separate statement by Duisport, the project will start in January and has a term of 29 months and a total cost of €1.5 million.