Korea plans LPG bunkering hub

The plan, announced by the Korea LPG Association on 25 January, envisions LPG bunker infrastructure (including ship-to-ship bunkering) being available in Busan from next year and a coastal car ferry is expected to be the hub’s first customer.

The group believes that demand for the fuel – which it says emits 80% less sulphur, nitrous oxides and particulate matter than heavy fuel oil – will grow as a result of the 2020 global sulphur cap.

Parties to the memorandum of understanding include many of those involved in the reported plan to design an LPG-fuelled, turbine-powered car ferry. The ferry, which it is hoped will be built next year, will be owned by YoungSung Global and managed by Dintec. Designed by Far East Ship Design & Engineering, the ferry will feature GE’s gas turbine technology. The project team, led by Hyun-Seong MCT, has received approval in principle from Bureau Veritas for the ferry.

The passenger and car ferry will be operated between Korean and Chinese or Japanese ports. A shipbuilding contract with Yuil shipyard is to be signed in the first quarter of 2018.

The Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced a feasibility and safety study into LPG-fuelled ships in November last year. Further afield, Astomos – the largest LPG supplier in Japan – has announced plans to build a LPG-fuelled gas carrier by 2020.