Sustainability Analysis of an LNG Bunkering Protocol

Abstract

International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 regulation was aimed to force the maritime industry to replace heavy fuel oil with cleaner and sustainable bunkering fuels. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a promising solution to achieving compliance with the established emission standards. However, its cryogenic nature demands new infrastructures and protocols for bunkering. Existing literature on LNG bunkering focuses primarily on protocols, standards, and safety. In this study, we present a comprehensive evaluation of the LNG bunkering procedure in the world’s first national standard Technical Reference 56 (TR 56) using rigorous dynamic simulation. The bunkering time, material costs, and emissions for truck-to-ship and ship-to-ship bunkering are estimated. Bottom-filling operation is recommended for balancing the pressures of two tanks and managing boiler-off gas (BOG) efficiently, when a vapor return line is present. For leading maritime countries such as Norway, Hong Kong, and Singapore, purging and inerting the bunkering lines can impact emissions and material costs significantly.

Managing Jetty Boil-Off Gas for More Sustainable LNG Export Terminals

“…In recent years, extensive research efforts have focused on addressing key issues in LNG supply chain, particularly those related to energy consumption and emission. − However, effectively managing boil-off gas (BOG) remains a central issue, evident in extensive research to model, control, and optimize this aspect. Boil-off gas (BOG) generation is pervasive across the entire LNG supply chain.…”