Gazprom and Summa Group have signed a memorandum of understanding indicating their intent to use LNG as a bunker fuel for marine vessels, including those owned and operated by Summa Group, an engineering, construction, and logistics conglomerate based in Moscow.
The companies initially will consider cooperation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, including LNG supply and development of bunkering infrastructure, especially LNG storage facilities.
Later they’ll consider development of cooperation in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and regions of the Pacific.
“The tough mandatory restrictions on emissions for marine vessels carrying out transportation operations in the Baltic and North Seas to be imposed after 2015 is the most important factor of switching to alternative fuel,” said Alexander Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee. “LNG is the only fuel that meets the requirements for limitation of emissions by ship engines without the need to install expensive filters, and it is favorably priced compared to low-sulfur petrochemicals.”
He said the requisite technologies for vessels, ship engines, and storage facilities “are available and tested.”