Message from the General Manager on the first Newsletter Issue for 2021

”Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021. Who would have thought seemingly Groundhog Days a year ago could almost now become a Groundhog Year, and with all the changes in 2020 we have learned to be agile and adapt in many ways. But the pandemic has not halted the future of carbon-based fuels being perpetually debated in many sectors including maritime. Ships must take their fuel with them and there is a steady course for the maritime industry to hold whilst academics indulge in debate often far away from reality for shipping.

Progress has continued swiftly with notable deliveries and ever-increasing bunkering. Recent developments have created a step change in the industry both in the volumes and the technologies employed. The QLNG 4000 in the US, CMA CGM Jaques Saade and Palais Royal are all now operational and I congratulate everyone in getting these projects delivered during such challenging times.

Progress of work at our Technical and Environmental Committees has been really encouraging and for us less travelling has meant more time for work groups and the completion of complex publications. Significantly, the latest training and competence document “Operation of ships with liquefied natural gas (LNG): Competency and Assessment Guidelines” has just been approved for publication; this milestone now reached will serve the industry well for many years to come.

We are the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel not just LNG, and we recently had a pragmatic and realistic debate on this at the Technical Committee, and soon the imminent Environmental Committee. We need to address and develop positions on much more challenging gaseous fuels such as Ammonia and Hydrogen. Watch this space for further developments in these areas and we would like to encourage you to join in the discussion with us at Gas Fest, to help pave the way for shipping in its ongoing fuels dilemma.

Finally, the Life Cycle GHG Emission Study on the Use of LNG as Marine Fuel (LCA) commissioned by SGMF and SEA\LNG, conducted by independent specialist consultants SPHERA and reviewed by a panel of academic experts, is being revised and is expected to publish in April 2021. The study will update the emissions facts from the previous study and will be expanded to consider bio and synthetic LNG, LPG, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen on the same basis.” – Mark Bell, General Manager

We’re excited to share with you our first Newsletter for 2021 which is available online, click here to read it. This edition also includes: