Nordic energy company Gasum has carried out the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation in the port of Reykjavik, Iceland.
As informed, the company’s LNG bunker vessel Coral Energy delivered LNG and liquefied biogas (LBG) to PONANT’s ice-breaking cruise vessel Le Commandant Charcot.
According to Gasum, its biogas can cut carbon emissions (CO2) on average by 90 percent when compared with traditional fossil fuels.
In addition to this, LNG is readily available and can be used with existing engine technologies, making it a viable alternative to traditional marine fuels. By using LNG as a marine fuel, shipping companies can reduce their emissions and comply with international regulations, such as the IMO’s greenhouse gas reduction strategy, the company noted.
Maritime traffic generates 3 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. This contributes to global warming and extreme weather conditions. CO2 is emitted by ships using petroleum-based fuels to power main and auxiliary engines.
LNG as a marine fuel meets all the current and forthcoming IMO and EU regulations. Switching to LNG means complete removal of SOx and particles, and reduction of NOx emissions of up to 85 percent. LNG reduces CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent, Gasum noted.
The company is also working to bring seven terawatt hours (7 TWh) of renewable gas yearly to market by 2027. Achieving this goal would mean a yearly cumulative carbon dioxide reduction of 1.8 million tons.
To remind, the gas supplier has been recently contracted by Swiss MSC Group to supply LNG for the company’s newest flagship, MSC Euribia. The cruise ship recently demonstrated that emissions-neutral cruising is possible by sailing the first ever net-zero greenhouse gas emissions cruise voyage benefiting from the emissions reductions allowed by liquefied biogas procured by Gasum.