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PitPoint.LNG is to build Germany's first shore-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering station in the harbour of Cologne.

The new station will be used to facilitate the bunkering of LNG-powered inland vessels sailing on the Rhine, which is estimated to account for 84 percent of the goods transported on Europe's inland waterways.

The construction of the bunkering station forms part of PitPoint.LNG's strategy to develop a European LNG infrastructure to facilitate the uptake of LNG as fuel for road and marine transport.

The new operation is expected to be launched in mid-2018 and is set to be used to bunker LNG for inland dual-fuel barges chartered by Shell Western LNG B.V. A long-term agreement between Shell and PitPoint.LNG has already been signed.

Jan Willem Drijver, managing director at PitPoint.LNG, said: "We are very pleased to start with the realization of this LNG bunkering station and to have Shell as a key launching customer. Enabling companies such as Shell to transport and deliver their goods in a cleaner and more environmental friendly way supports PitPoint's mission to realize 100% clean transport in 2030."

Lauran Wetemans, Shell's General Manager Downstream LNG, remarked: "Together with the infrastructure developed in Rotterdam, this station will expand the availability of LNG fuel for customers on the Rhine - Europe's key inland waterway. We look forward to working with PitPoint.LNG to make this a reality."

PitPoint.LNG is a joint venture between PitPoint Clean Fuels and Primagaz Nederland BV. The company is focused on the development of an LNG infrastructure for the automotive and marine market.

The plan to develop an LNG bunkering station in Cologne forms part of the Breakthrough LNG Deployment in Inland Waterway Transport project, which is co-financed by the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

Image: Passenger vessels near Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne.