Leading the Way to Safe LNG Delivery at Port of Long Beach

Ten years ago, when 澳博体育app下载 had to sign contracts for the construction of new vessels for a fleet modernization program that would replace the last few steamships in our fleet in time to comply with new global environmental regulations in 2020, the future of marine fuels was murky at best with a variety of alternative fuels in different stages of research and development. But with a new era of increasingly strict emissions regulations approaching, a decision had to be made. After extensive analysis of all the potential options, company leadership decided that liquefied natural gas (LNG) was the most likely to be available at industrial scale when our new Aloha Class containerships Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila were to be delivered in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The new ships were ordered with specifications for dual-fuel engines that could run on conventional marine fuel oil or LNG.

Fast forward ten years, and the industry is still exploring different solutions for decarbonization. But according to the latest research published by classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), LNG is currently the most developed alternative fuel in terms of bunkering infrastructure and its usage is expected to increase significantly.

Still, the only access to bunkering LNG at West Coast ports has been by truck from inland providers – an inefficient and expensive process. With Daniel K. Inouye now operating on LNG and two more ships converting to LNG this year, 澳博体育app下载 has been working with industry and regulatory authorities to establish more efficient vessel-to-vessel bunkering at the Port of Long Beach (POLB), and is on track to become the first carrier to receive LNG via bunker barge there in the Fall.

The process of introducing a new fuel delivery system at a port is complex, involving numerous parties and a lengthy approval process. 澳博体育app下载’s efforts to make the new system available at Long Beach recently took a significant step forward with the convening of an LNG Bunkering Hazard Identification (HAZID) workshop at POLB. The risk assessment conducted during this workshop was a crucial step in obtaining the necessary approvals to proceed with bunkering operations.

The HAZID event spanned two days and saw the active participation of nearly forty key stakeholders, including representatives from 澳博体育app下载, Seaspan Energy, Bernard Schulte Ship management (ship manager for Seaspan), Vard Marine (event facilitator), Herbert Engineering, TGE, Trelleborg, Cryosafe, SSA Marine, Long Beach Fire Department, California Accidental Release Prevention, a team of experts from the U.S. Coast Guard, Los Angeles Pilot Service, Jacobsen Pilot Service, Port of Long Beach Police Department, the Port of Long Beach, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, ABS, and the Marine Exchange.

Following the success of the HAZID workshop, further assessments will be undertaken with a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) to ensure that appropriate safety measures have been established and that the risk levels are as low as reasonably practical.