• 13 Mar 2018

February 6th,  EMSA released a report aiming to support port authorities and administrations backing the use of LNG as a ship fuel, as part of a joint effort to increase safety and sustainability. The guidance was prepared in cooperation with the European Commission (DG MOVE), member states and industry within the context of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF).

EMSA says that the adoption of LNG as an alternative fuel for shipping has been remarkably fast, with the involvement of ship operators, shipyards, Class Societies and different national competent authorities. This can be seen by the technological advancements for the design of LNG fueled vessels and LNG bunkering operations, which have been speedy. In this development, shipping industry played a key role, by adopting a good part of the LNG knowledge.

The EMSA Guidance applies to Port Authorities/Administrations (PAAs) when involved in LNG Bunkering within their areas of port jurisdiction, either during the exploratory and planning phases or, at later stages of development, already in the context of actual LNG Bunkering operations.

The purpose of the Guide is limited to the bunkering of LNG and covers eight main themes: Regulations (Standards, Guidelines, Best Parctices, etc.)

Operations (Control zones, Distances, Chek-lists, etc.), Permits (Spatial planning, Approval of locations, etc.), Risks and Security (Risk assesment, Acceptance criteria, etc.), Emergency (Responce plans, Best practices, etc.) Quality management (Incident reporting, Port Bye Law, Etc.), Certification (Accreditation, Qualification, etc.) and Training (Competencies, Qualifications, Certification, etc.).

The EMSA Guidance is applicable in a complimentary way to existing Standards, Guidelines and Industry Best Practice instruments, aiming to provide best practice recommendations to PAAs wherever their action is relevant, in control, evaluation, or even in guidance on the several different aspects of LNG bunkering.

"The Guide is proposed as an additional tool to help port authorities to receive LNG as fuel in a clear and safe manner," noted EMSA. The manual can be downloaded at the link: http://www.emsa.europa.eu/