15.09.15. The Sefarina, a seagoing ship operated by the Dutch company Chemgas Shipping, has scored a ‘first’ in port of Antwerp.
After being the first ship to obtain a particulates discount, on Monday it was also the first seagoing vessel to be bunkered with LNG in the Belgian port. Bunkering with LNG has already been possible in Antwerp for some time, but so far it has been used only for barges, with the LNG being supplied by trucks. The recent truck-to-ship bunkering of the Sefarina now counts as a test case for the safety procedures that will apply to bunkering of seagoing ships.
As part of its sustainability policy Antwerp Port Authority aims not only to encourage the use of LNG as ship’s fuel but also to facilitate it. The Port Authority is therefore seeking a candidate to build and operate an LNG bunkering and filling station under a concession on quay 528. The aim is for barges to be able to bunker with LNG in the port of Antwerp at a permanent facility by the beginning of 2019 at the latest.
