Going Global with the Fuel of the Future

At this stage, fuel security is still a critical piece of any newbuilding plans for LNG-fueled ships. That’s why all the groundbreaking shipbuilding programs mentioned above are attached to longterm fuel supply agreements with major energy companies. For example, Total signed a contract to deliver bunkers to the CGA/CMA vessels for ten years beginning in 2020, while Shell has signed on for long-term bunkering of the Project Forward ships. To ease the pressure for such agreements elsewhere in the industry, several governments have made significant moves to back the evolution of an LNG-fueled fleet and position themselves as future suppliers.

Asked for advice to owners stuck in a wait-and-see mode due to the swirling uncertainties surrounding IMO 2020 implementation, Green Tanker’s Daniel says “The only advice from my point of view is this: Don’t think about temporary solutions to continue with HFO operation, where it is feasible. Actual and upcoming restrictions for HFO operation are not the end. Others will follow. LNG as fuel remains the solution for the present and near future, but it is not the only and final solution – other existing technologies, for example batteries and fuel cells, will play bigger roles in the future.”