LOTOS and PGNiG have delivered 120 m3 (120,000 liters) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as marine fuel to the tanks of the SIEM HARMONY, a modern Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) currently under construction at the Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard. This will allow for sea trials of the vessel to be conducted before it is commissioned. Tankers collected the gas from the President Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal and transported it to the shipyard in Gdańsk. This is the first logistics project of its kind in Poland and is the result of cooperation between LOTOS and PGNiG.
– Thanks to the terminal in Świnoujście, we have the ability to efficiently distribute LNG throughout the country. More and more marine vessels are also being built that use LNG as fuel, which meets all restrictions regarding sulfur and harmful substance emissions. That is why ship bunkering is a service we want to develop in the near future – said Henryk Mucha, President of PGNiG Obrót Detaliczny.
So-called dual-fuel ships, considered highly technologically pioneering, are powered by both conventional marine fuel and much cleaner gas. As a result, they are much more environmentally friendly than those with traditional propulsion. Shipowners, wanting to meet EU environmental requirements for fuels containing up to 0.10 percent sulfur, are introducing lower-emission ships powered by LNG into their fleets. The tightened emission standards, contained in the EU sulfur directive, have mandated a tenfold reduction in sulfur emissions since 2015.
– Technology related to the distribution and use of LNG is the technology of the future – emphasizes Przemysław Marchlewicz, Vice President of the Management Board of Grupa LOTOS S.A. – I am glad that Grupa LOTOS, together with PGNiG and the shipyards, is boldly taking on this challenge for the benefit of the country. We will support both the development of this field and the associated infrastructure. This is the right and desirable direction, also, and perhaps above all, for the sake of environmental protection.
LNG is currently the cleanest fuel used in shipping. Particularly noteworthy are the properties of LNG, which, upon contact with air, evaporates and quickly disappears into the atmosphere, leaving no residue on the water. For this reason, even in the event of a tank leak, it will not pose a threat to the environment. It is a safe and ecological fuel. Ships that use it for propulsion are the safest floating units.
– LOTOS Asfalt is diversifying its supply of marine fuels to a market that today expects suppliers to introduce alternative, low-sulfur fuels – emphasizes Piotr Przyborowski, President of the Management Board of LOTOS Asfalt. – This is a new, even pioneering, and at the same time innovative direction for our commercial activity. What we are doing today signals to the market that we are introducing LNG marine fuel into our permanent offer with the possibility of delivery in all ports in Poland.
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