• 04 Aug 2016

Western Australia’s Fremantle Ports, a government trading enterprise (GTE), is to become the first port in Australia to establish a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility. The Port has approved EVOL LNG as the fuel provider, enabling LNG-powered marine vessels visiting Fremantle Port access to this increasingly popular marine fuel alternative. The availability of LNG as a bunker fuel, which will be delivered from EVOL LNG’s Kwinana LNG plant. Initially EVOL LNG will use the truck to ship method. A shore-to-ship facility will be considered once there is sufficient demand.

The decision follows the announcement in April this year by Australian oil and gas company Woodside that it had signed a five-year charter contract with Norwegian company Siem Offshore Australia Pty Ltd to deliver Australia’s first LNG-powered marine support vessel in 2017.

Gas Energy Australia, the national peak body for the downstream gas industry, has welcomed the announcement: “Having cleaner, cheaper LNG available for ships at Fremantle Port will encourage cleaner running LNG ships from all over the world to stop and refuel at Fremantle, and with LNG producing significantly less emissions, it’s good for the Australian environment,” CEO John Griffiths said.

EVOL LNG will be able to supply its customers with LNG at a price that is competitive with low-sulphur marine diesel and will be able to refuel ships at up to 45 tonnes per hour of LNG, which is comparable to refuelling with traditional bunker fuels.