A U.N.-led call for action to tighten sulfur oxide emissions may also be a trigger accelerating a shift to natural gas as fuel for the global shipping fleet, and Japan is wasting no time trying to establish a refueling hub in Asia.
Some 80,000 vessels worldwide are weighing how to comply with the International Maritime Organization¡¯s new requirements to cut sulfur emissions that take effect Jan. 1. Though the vast majority will likely shift to low-sulphur fuel oil, a growing number of vessels are turning to sulfur-free liquefied natural gas (LNG) amid heightened calls for curbing emissions.
To spur new demand for LNG bunkering, Japan is subsidizing projects in a rush to build vessels that make ship-to-ship LNG supply possible. Though some places including Yokohama allow supply of LNG to ships via trucks and pipelines on shore, LNG-powered ships usually refuel when they stop at ports for unloading or loading goods, making it necessary to build LNG supply vessels.
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