Meeting the demands of the growing LNG market

Previously, ship owners have been reluctant to make the switch to LNG because of the lack of bunkering infrastructure. At the same time, development of bunker infrastructure has been slow to get off the ground due to the low demand from the market.

But Damen said this outlook is changing, something that can be put down to a number of factors, including the continued focus on tightening emissions.

Bastiaan Schurink, Damen Shipyards Bergum’s Design & Proposal Marketeer, said: “LNG is becoming more and more interesting: both commercially and politically.”

“There are a growing number of European LNG bunkering projects that have been initiated by well-known oil and gas majors. EU funding is also making its presence felt.”

Damen’s Liquefied Gas Carriers are capable of transporting all types of liquefied gases including LPG and VCM, in addition to LNG.

“At the moment this is a small niche market – but it’s up and coming,” added Mr Schurink. “The European market is getting the ball rolling, and we expect these developments to continue in other regions too.”

“For example, the North American market is paying more attention to emissions. And the feeder markets in Indonesia and the Mediterranean are also interesting. We have designs and the specs available. All in all, we are fully prepared to build these vessels.”