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According to DNV's summer students, LNG could easily become the most feasible means of fuel in short sea shipping.

The students' report was presented on Friday 6th August in front of an audience of 200 people - including shipowners, representatives from the supply industry and Norwegian authorities.

Ten master's students from Norway, Sweden and Nigeria, chosen among 150 applicants, worked on this year's summer project assignment - "LNG in short-sea shipping"- for a six-week period. The scope of the project was to set up a fictitious ship owning company operating ships fuelled on liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Nordic region.

The students, who study technology and economics, looked at the challenges and opportunities of operating vessels on LNG.

During the six-week period the students investigated the preferable trade and ship type for LNG operations, made specifications to ship design and provided a viable fuel logistics solution. According to DNV, they have proven the use of LNG to be safe, environmentally friendly and economically profitable.

Results

The market analysis conducted by the students showed that four oil tankers of Aframax size shipping crude oil were the most promising options when taking market attractiveness, technical feasibility, economic advantage and environmental impact into account.

The most relevant ports within the trade were identified, and Primorsk, Mongstad and Teesport stood out as exporters while Rotterdam stood out as an importer.

While the major advantages of LNG as fuel were said to be superior environmental performance and a lower price, the weaknesses were highlighed as being the immature LNG market as well as the limited distribution infrastructure. However, the students identified and presented a realistic approach to deal with these weaknesses.

The students suggested that, in order to make LNG available at a competitive price, large volumes of LNG should be bought on the global market and then distributed to an onshore storage facility near Rotterdam. Bunkering of other vessels would then provided by a refuelling barge.

DNV CEO Henrik O. Madsen said "I was very impressed to see what the students presented here today. At times I have found it difficult to understand why the shipping industry has not switched to LNG - given the great commercial and environmental advantages. Today, with their presentation the students have provided ship owners with a blueprint, showing us all that it is 100 percent realistic to overcome the challenges with regard to LNG as fuel."