Essay On Use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

Currently, no rule is available regarding the use of liquefied natural gas as marine fuel. IGC code is the only exception which has allowed liquefied natural gas carriers to utilize boil-off gas (BOG) as ship propulsion. Many of the analysis regarding the rules on gas-fuelled ships are not fully progressed. IGF code is developed by IMO which encompass the issues and security of gas-fuelled vessels. Referring to liquefied natural gas bunkering procedure, many analyses concentrate on the deficiency of set of widespread bunkering regulations and the safety equipment as the major obstacle in the implementation of liquefied natural gas as ship fuel. A working group was created by ISO in 2011 which determined the international standards for liquefied natural gas bunkering procedure which mainly concentrates on the basic needs of the staff, associated risk and for all types of bunkering procedures. It is clear that the shipping industry is divided in terms of the choice of fuel. The key observations are:

• There is considerably increasing demand in LNG for the maritime industry that means it is necessary to develop the infrastructure for supply to main ports and bunkering locations so that the option can be picked up by the ship owners when they have to choose one.
• The choice of fuel will drive the cost picture of the ships in the future and there will be a huge impact of the fuel choice on competition between the ship owners.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is considered as technically viable fuel for the commercial ships considering research from last 10 years. The driving forces for exponential growth in a number of ships using LNG as the fuel are the fuel prices and environmental legislation. LNG is feasible as maritime fuel based on the two important forces that are the emission regulation that suggests LNG as best complying and expected prices in future when oil and natural gas are compared suggesting an inclination towards natural gas and thus suggesting LNG. Combating local emissions from shipping is twofold when viewed in light of plan by International Maritime Organisation.

First is a reduction in SOx emissions from new built as well as existing ships that operate within emission control areas. Second is the reduction in NOx emissions from the ships that are newly built and are operating within international waters. It remains important to note that only thing that matters to the economics of future shipping is the uncertain difference in future fuel prices. Thus, all the actors involved in the maritime industry have to be prepared well for the new framework for shipping.