23JAN2018 - NEWS - Port of Rotterdam is prepared for LNG bunkering, 2020 Onwards

In a statement released by Port of Rotterdam, port shared, 29,646 sea-going vessels entered the port of Rotterdam in 2017. This is over 600 more than the preceding year (29,022 sea-going vessels). The number of incidents in the port fell from 159 to 129. The Port Authority wants to encourage the transition from fuel oil to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a transport fuel for the shipping sector. Over the past few years, the Port Authority has worked to prepare systems and staff for the arrival of LNG-powered vessels. 2017 saw the first LNG bunker vessel, the Cardissa, become operational in Rotterdam’s port area. The relevant legislation and regulations have been improved and updated to enable the smoother bunkering of LNG. “We expect that by 2020, LNG bunkering will be a routine operation in the port of Rotterdam,” says René de Vries.