So the adoption of electric three-wheelers and buses in the country can make a huge effect on the environment and the people. It is the key term observed in the Asian markets. In India and Thailand autorickshaws is the major source for public transportation in the urban cities. According to the VynZ Research, conventional autorickshaw owners are opting the e-rickshaws and e-auto as the costs less for maintenance. Apart from the three-wheelers, in urban cities is also preferring scooters and motorcycles for everyday commutes as it saves them on costs and time.

Global electric bus market is growing at 16.2% CAGR. Three-wheeler market in India is predicted to grow at 45.2% CAGR. Based on the product the EV market is categorized in two-wheeler and four-wheelers out of which two-wheelers have the largest share in the market as almost in all urban cities the traffic is the major concern among the commuters, hence people opting for two-wheelers and shifting trends to EVs. Out of voltage such as 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V, 72V, 48V is the used in most of the e-rickshaws and e-scooters.

Government is the major support for the development of EVs as it fuels the demand of the country. Speedy urbanization leads to traffic congestions which result in more emissions and hence the need for EVs increases.

Cost of batteries is the main reason for EVs higher prices. Lack of infrastructure is another impediment in the growth of EVs, however, government and manufacturers have taken many initiatives to install charging infrastructure.

Source: ElectricVehicles.in[Edited]

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According to the industry data car and two-wheelers notches up over 54,000 units annually despite policies, incentives for the EVs. SBI, Managing Director, Retail and Digital Banking believes that SBI green car loan scheme would act a change agent in the auto loan segment and encourage customers to switch to electric vehicles which can improve overall air quality and lower carbon emissions. The green scheme offers the longest repayment period of 8 years and is a strategic addition to the bank’s loan segment which is provided with zero processing fee for the first six months of the launch.

Source: ElectricVehicles.in [Edited]

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Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). Tata, AES, Mitsubishi recently commissioned a 10 MW battery energy storage system in Delhi. As per Mercom India reports, India ranks at the third position in the solar market after the China and US with 8.3 GW of solar PV capacity installed in the year. It says there are over 300 utility-scale project developers in the country with projects of at least 5 MW or more in operation. Tata is the largest organization in installations in the solar rooftop segment.

Source: ElectricVehicles.in

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The Centre increased the price of domestic natural gas by nearly 10 per cent to $3.69/mmbtu. This was the fourth consecutive hike in the past two years. This price is determined using a formula introduced in October 2014.

What is it?

Much of the natural gas being produced in the country does not command a market-determined price  that is, it is not determined by buyers and sellers based on demand-supply dynamics in the market. Rather, a formula  and a peculiar one at that  is used to fix the price of the fuel every six months. As per the formula, the domestic gas price is the weighted average price of four global benchmarks  the US-based Henry Hub, Canada-based Alberta gas, the UK-based NBP, and Russian gas. The domestic price is based on the prices of these international benchmarks in the prior year, and kicks in with a quarter’s lag. It applies for six months. So, the price applicable from April 1 to September 30, 2019 is based on benchmark prices from January to December 2018. This formula-based pricing has some interesting features and outcomes. One, the formula has no mention about gas actually imported into India. Typically, gas imported in Asian markets is costlier than many international benchmarks. In effect, the price of domestic gas is lower than that of gas imports. Next, the averaging of benchmark prices over the past year and then the time lag of a quarter mean that the domestic gas price movement is often out of sync with what’s really happening on the ground. For instance, global gas prices were rising for a good part of the last year but have been on a decline in the last few months. But courtesy the formula, domestic gas producers have now been handed out price hikes, even as many global producers are taking price cuts.

Why is it important?

Domestic gas prices have been rising in the past couple of years but thanks to the formula, they are still cheaper than imported gas. Now, this acts as disincentive to local producers such as ONGC, Oil India and Reliance Industries who often find that the price is not worth their time and effort to increase output. What follows then are increased gas imports at higher prices. Over the years, India’s import dependency has steadily risen and now is inching towards 50 per cent. As a lollipop to domestic producers, the Centre in March 2016 offered ‘pricing freedom’ for gas produced from discoveries in difficult locations (deep water, ultra-deep water and high pressure-high temperature areas). But even here, the price is not truly market-linked and there is a cap based on prices of alternative fuels. So, for such gas, the price ceiling for the April to September 2019 period is $9.32/mmbtu, the highest in two years. To be fair, the Centre has been taking corrective steps such as giving pricing freedom under the new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy. But output from many of the fields that are already producing are still subject to formula-based pricing.

Why should I care?

Producers may be pleased with higher gas prices, but consumers often shell out more. Natural gas is used by many sectors including city gas distribution, fertilisers and power. City gas producers have been given priority allocation of domestic gas. As the price of the fuel rises, therefore, you must be prepared to pay more for the compressed natural gas (CNG) you fill in your car and for the piped natural gas (PNG) you receive in your kitchen. Your power bills and food costs could also go up. The Centre walks a tightrope here, balancing interests of producers and consumers.

Bottom-line

Gas is not just a state of matter; it is also a matter of the State.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/slate/all-you-wanted-to-know-about/article26913848.ece

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We are contemplating if we can work out a mechanism where these gas-based power plants can also sell on power exchanges without depending on the power purchase agreements,” a government official said. The proposed e-RLNG (re-gasified liquefied natural gas) scheme, being drafted by power and oil ministries as per the recommendations of a high-level empowered committee headed by cabinet secretary PK Sinha, is likely to require lesser than earlier projected subsidy due to softened global crude oil prices, the official said. As per the proposal, the government is considering gas auction mechanism for the electricity generating units by pooling any domestic gas with LNG and subsidising the tariffs to revive about 25,000 mw projects, the official said. The scheme is proposed to be run for two years beginning the current fiscal. It will be similar to the e-RLNG scheme run between 2015-16 and 2016-17 based on financial support from the Power System Development Fund. The government had recently allowed power plants to use coal supplied by Coal India Ltd to supply electricity in short-term market. Industry experts said RLNG price is hovering around $8 per MMBtu. In the previous rounds, the government had subsidised the tariffs at ₹5.50 per unit. The ministry, however, this time might stick to ₹4.24 per unit tariff that was discovered through its PPA auctions last year. Earlier the government was considering pooling ONGC deep sea gas with LNG. The government had launched an e-RLNG scheme in March 2015. The scheme was discontinued after two bidding rounds after the power ministry received aggressive bids from companies. Power companies have been demanding the government to restart the scheme as about 7,500-mw capacity is completely stranded while the rest is stressed. Presently, the country has nearly 25,000-mw of operational gas-based capacity, all of which is stressed because of gas unavailability. Against total requirement of 117 mmscmd (million metric standard cubic metres per day), total gas supply in 2017 was 30 mmscmd.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/gas-based-plants-may-get-to-sell-power-in-spot-market/articleshow/68878915.cms

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Apart from reducing emissions, electricity-based cooking is also seen to reduce the country’s import dependency for energy. Experts are also banking on rising solar generation capacity to completely replace kerosene as a source of cooking fuel. We have no such mechanism to transfer subsidy amount towards solar cooking,” a senior MoPNG official told FE. The MNRE proposed that out of the Rs 50,000 required to install solar PV cooking systems in a household, the MoPNG could pay `20,000 as subsidy, while the rest could be mobilised through bank loans. The petroleum ministry is understood to have given its comments to MNRE on this issue. As FE reported earlier, recognising the fact that subsidies on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were creating distortions in adopting cleaner forms of fuel, the NITI Aayog had suggested to the MoPNG that beneficiaries of LPG subsidy should instead be given a ‘cooking subsidy’ to allow consumers the freedom to decide on the cooking fuel variant. According to a NITI Aayog study, the consumption of 8 to 10 LPG cylinders (14.2 kg each) per year is equivalent to electricity consumption of nearly 4 units per day. With more than 25 crore active LPG consumers, India imports 50% of its LPG requirement. The MoPNG estimates that with the renewed focus on LPG usage thanks to the Ujjwala scheme, the demand for LPG is likely to go up further by 34% by 2025, raising import bills. A recent report published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development noted that the elimination of kerosene subsidy would avoid 4.4 MT of oil import every year. “Shifting subsidies from kerosene to off-grid solar photovoltaic products is one way to fund the energy transition for marginalised households,” the report said. The average monthly household kerosene consumption is estimated at 2.63 litre. Though kerosene consumption has more than halved in the past decade to 3.8 MT in FY18, kerosene subsidy expenditure was still as high as Rs4,778 crore in FY18. With the rising penetration of electric cooking, Brookings India estimated that culinary power demand may add 48 to 72 billion units of consumption by 2030. The projection was subject to uncertainties related to service demands, technologies, policy allocations and enabling infrastructure. While reviewing the progress of the key infrastructure sectors in August 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged officials to promote user-friendly solar cooking solutions by utilising benefits of rising solar energy capacity.

https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/after-completion-of-100-electrification-govt-keen-to-promote-power-as-cooking-fuel/1558263/

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in the second week of April, the June price for delivery of LNG into northeast Asia dropped into $5.00 territory, sources said. The average June price was estimated at $5.40 per MMBtu on Thursday, April18,  as offers of supply met with sluggish demand and a drop in European gas prices. Reflecting the low levels of local demand, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) issued a sell tender for a July delivery cargo to ports outside China from its Hainan terminal. Offers also came from Australia’s Ichthys project and Malaysian producer Petronas, each for one June cargo, three trade sources said. Energy majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell are also offering June cargoes, two of the sources said. On the demand side, Japan’s Toho Gas Co is looking for a cargo to be delivered in July, with the rest of Asia’s requirements largely fulfilled last week. South Korea’s GS Energy bought a cargo last week for early June delivery at a price close to $6.00 per MMBtu, LNG traders said. Argentine energy company Integracion Energetica Argentina (IEASA), formerly known as ENARSA, has a buy tender for eight August cargoes open until April 25. Indian companies continued to look for cargoes but limited import capacity was not leaving much room for spot deliveries, a source active on the Indian market said. Prices for June supply to the country followed the downward trend in northeast Asian prices and were estimated at $5.10 per MMBtu on Thursday. Indian Oil Corp has a tender for June delivery open until April 24. In Europe, trading activity was subdued, with only opportunistic interest in LNG cargoes amid a generally oversupplied European gas market. The front-month price in the Netherlands has dropped by almost 30 cents in the past week and traded just below $5.00 per MMBtu on Thursday. LNG cargoes were priced at around a 30 cent discount to benchmark gas hub prices, traders said. Asian LNG front-month prices regained a premium over the Dutch front-month price this week for the first time since mid-March. However, the premium was still too small to open the arbitrage between Pacific and Atlantic basins and incentivise spot trade of Atlantic cargoes into Asia.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/new-cargo-offers-depress-lng-prices/

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as cited by the news agency. More than half of the gas sold by state-run PGNiG comes from Russia’s Gazprom based on a long-term deal which expires in 2022, Reuters reports. PGNiG reportedly has taken steps to reduce that reliance as it does not plan to extend the agreement. “We want to be the company at the crossroads of North-South and East-West… we need something to the south, something reliable. So we are looking at all those places to the south of Poland very carefully… So yes, we are interested in Israel,” Wozniak told Reuters.

PGNiG reportedly has secured purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies via a Baltic Sea terminal, mostly from Qatar, the United States, and Norway, and is said to be planning to import gas from Norway, including its own deposits in Norway via a planned Baltic Pipe pipeline. A number of large gas discoveries offshore Israel and in nearby eastern Mediterranean waters in the last decade have made Israel a potentially lucrative prospect for big energy firms. The region is emerging as a new hot spot for gas exploration and production, says Reuters. Following two years of negotiations, Israel signed an agreement with Italy, Greece, and Cyprus in late 2018 to lay the longest gas pipeline in history.

https://worldisraelnews.com/poland-looking-to-buy-gas-from-israel-end-reliance-on-russia/

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No details were available on the timing or price. ExxonMobil has invested in LNG production in the east Mediterranean, Papua New Guinea, Qatar and the US Gulf Coast. The LNG will not be supplied from US production and is separate from the China-US trade negotiations, according to a Nasdaq report. ExxonMobil is a partner with Qatar Petroleum (QP) in the Golden Pass project in Sabine, Texas. Golden Pass was originally built as one of the world’s largest LNG import terminals with regasification capacity of 2Bn ft3 per day. ExxonMobil and QP plan to convert Golden Pass into a facility that can both export and import natural gas in response to market conditions. Golden Pass will have an estimated export capacity of 15.6 MMTPA of LNG. “ExxonMobil shares Zhejiang Energy’s vision in developing a major LNG gateway in the Ningbo-Zhoushan region,” Mr Clarke said. “We look forward to continuing our support for Zhejiang Energy during the construction, commissioning and operation of its Wenzhou LNG receiving terminal.” Zhejiang Energy Group has vast holdings in energy, controlling and managing installed capacity over 30,000 MW, mainly coal-fired and gas-fired power generation. It is currently working with China’s Sinopec on building an LNG import terminal in the port city of Wenzhou. The facility will have the capacity to handle 3 MMTPA of LNG and is set for commissioning in 2022 or 2023. It is also expected to handle LNG imports from Australia Pacific LNG export terminal at Gladstone in Queensland, Australia.

https://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,china-inks-20year-lng-deal-with-exxonmobil_57587.htm

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at the federal energy regulator prepared an environmental report. Construction and operation of the project would result in some adverse environmental impacts, but those “would be avoided or reduced to less-than-significant levels” if the company follows some recommendations, staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in the report, known as a final environmental impact statement. The FERC commissioners take the staff’s recommendations into consideration when they decide on the project. Kinder Morgan has not yet made a final investment decision to build the plant. Gulf LNG is designed to have two liquefaction trains that together will produce up to 10.8 MMTPA of LNG, which is roughly 1.4 BCFD of natural gas. One billion cubic feet is enough gas to fuel about 5 million homes for a day. Gulf LNG is one of dozens of LNG export terminals under development in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The United States, which was a net importer of LNG before U.S. LNG company Cheniere Energy Inc shipped its first cargo from Sabine Pass in Louisiana in February 2016, became the third biggest exporter of the super-cooled fuel by capacity in 2018, behind Australia and Qatar. Looking at only the plants currently under construction, U.S. LNG export capacity is expected to rise to 8.5 BCFD by the end of 2019 and 10.0 BCFD in 2020 from 5.2 BCFD now.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/kinder-morgans-planned-gulf-lng-export-plant-in-mississippi-passes-environmental-test/

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Pakistan is facing an energy crisis with repeated power blackouts and gas supply outages that led to the sacking of the heads of two of its main gas distribution utilities in January. The Saudi delegation, was discussing LNG supplies, Nadeem Babar, the head of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s task force on energy reforms, told Reuters. They’re discussing LNG sales. They’re entering this business,” he said. “Aramco is starting an LNG trade operation, and we are in discussion over all aspects, including terms and quantity, etc.” Aramco doesn’t currently produce LNG, and any such sale would be first of its kind. Aramco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said in February that Saudi Arabia aimed to export three billion cubic feet per day of gas before 2030 via both pipelines and LNG tankers. Pakistan’s demand for LNG could more than triple in the next three to five years, the chief executive of Pakistan LNG said last month, adding that Islamabad was expected to negotiate a few more long-term contracts to import LNG into the country. Last year, Pakistan imported nearly seven tonnes of LNG, data from Refinitiv Eikon showed. This year, it could grow to as high as 15 MMT and to up to 25- 30 MMT over the next three to five years, said Pakistan LNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Adnan Gilani. Pakistan LNG is a state-owned company that buys LNG from the international market to supply to the domestic market. Pakistan’s two import terminals have a regas capacity of 1.2 billion to 1.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day, or about 9 million to 10 million tonnes of LNG a year, according to Gilani’s presentation at the LNGA 2019 conference in Singapore.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1950026/2-saudi-aramco-team-pakistan-talks-first-lng-deals-official/

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in the first three months of the year, down 2.6m tonnes year on year. Imports in March collapsed the most, dropping to 2.77m tonnes, down 35% relative to March 2018. “The lower imports were attributable to warmer than normal weather during winter and high inventory levels in North Asia,” said Sanira Tennakoon, senior oil and gas consultant for AME Research in Sydney. Tennakoon expected imports to increase towards mid-year, driven by higher demand in the region during summer months. South Korea’s customs data also showed South Korea effectively paid an average price of roughly USD 10.95/MMbtu for its LNG imports in March. By comparison, spot prices plunged to just above USD 4.50/MMbtu by the end of the month on the region’s benchmark Japan/Korea Marker – some of their lowest levels in years. The spot trade in LNG only accounted for roughly a quarter of the market last year, but its share is growing, according to data compiled by oil major Shell. Temperatures in Seoul averaged 1C above their seasonal norm in March, according to timeanddate.com. Forecaster Radiant Solutions sees mostly normal temperatures for Korea and Japan over the next two months. Since 1 April, South Korea has slashed taxes on LNG and raised them on coal as part of the country’s efforts to curb air pollution.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/south-korean-lng-imports-tumble-20-in-first-quarter/

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When commissioned, Gimi will be located nearshore on the Mauritania and Senegal maritime border and is expected to begin production in 2022 as part of the first phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project. Gimi will be designed to produce approximately 2.5 mta of LNG under a 20-year contract for BP. The conversion finance was arranged by Clifford Capital Pte, ING Bank, Natixis and ABN Amro Bank. Gimi MS Corporation is 70% owned by Golar LNG and 30% by First FLNG Holdings Pte, an indirect subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Corporation Limited held through Keppel Capital Holdings Pte.  Singapore’s Keppel Shipyard, a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine, will convert a 125,000-m3 LNG carrier with a Moss-type cargo containment system into the FLNG Gimi. The shipyard will supply design, detailed engineering and procurement of the marine systems, as well as conversion-related construction services. Delivery of the vessel is expected in H1 2022. The project will be similar to Keppel’s conversion of the world’s first FLNG vessel, Hilli Episeyo, which was delivered to Golar LNG for work offshore Kribi, Cameroon. “Leveraging our engineering, execution expertise and LNG capabilities, we are able to partner customers in developing innovative and fit-for-purpose solutions to meet the needs of the market,” said Keppel O&M chief executive Chris Ong. Golar LNG chief executive Iain Ross added, “Golar looks forward to working closely with Keppel on another Mark I FLNG and has a high degree of confidence in Keppel’s ability to safely deliver Gimi on time and within budget.” US-based Black & Veatch will work with Keppel Shipyard on the Gimi FLNG project. Black & Veach previously partnered with Keppel for the conversion of the Hilli Episeyo, providing design, procurement and commissioning support services for the topsides. Liquefaction of the natural gas will be handled by Black & Veatch’s Prico technology, which uses a single-mixed refrigerant loop.

https://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,flng-conversion-moves-ahead-for-bp-lng-project_57545.htm

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The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) ‘Summit LNG’ is moored 6 km off the island of Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, Singapore-based Summit Power International said in a statement on Saturday, April 20. The FSRU is 75 percent owned by Summit Corp, a unit of Summit Power International, and the remaining by Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. Summit Power International, which owns power generation assets in Bangladesh and is owned by Bangladeshi conglomerate Summit Group, said it had chartered the vessel, which is able to regasify 500 million cubic feet of LNG a day, from U.S.-based Excelerate Energy for 15 years. It said the ship had picked up a commissioning cargo in Qatar before sailing to Bangladesh, where it is expected to remain, and will send regasified LNG into the country through a subsea pipeline. LNG from the FSRU is expected to be supplied to the national grid by end of the month. “If the weather is favourable and everything goes well, then LNG can be supplied to the national grid within a week,” Mohammad Quamruzzaman, managing director of Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Co, a unit of state-owned oil firm Petrobangla, told Reuters.

An official from Petrobangla, which is in charge of LNG imports into the country, said all the connecting pipelines are not ready, and the FSRU will not yet be able to operate at maximum capacity. The FSRU start-up date had been partially hampered by construction delays on a pipeline that will carry regasified gas from the coastal city of Chattogram, near where the FSRU is anchored, to the capital Dhaka. About 3.75 MMTPA of LNG are expected to be imported through the facility, doubling the country’s LNG import capacity to 7.5 MMTPA once fully operational. Bangladesh has scrapped plans to build additional floating LNG terminals in favour of land-based stations after the start-up of the country’s first FSRU was delayed by several months due to technical problems and bad weather.

Source: LNG Global

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But there are a number of problems with both of these arguments. Egypt will need additional supplies the equivalent of a Zohr field every two-to-three years to satisfy its growing demand for power, according to Ryan Pereira, global director, gas and LNG at consultancy Gaffney Cline. However, finding a country comparable to Egypt that has experienced that level of exponential demand growth is not easy. It remains an uncomfortable truth for the “pipe-it-to-Egypt” supporters that, even when Egypt’s gas demand was outstripping domestic production to the extent that it had to export expensive LNG, the appetite to lock in substantial long-term volumes from Aphrodite, Leviathan and Tamar was negligible. It is stretching credibility to suggest that will change positively in a post-Zohr and Nour world. Idle LNG capacity just waiting for Cypriot and Israeli volumes to flow through it seems even more fanciful. For one thing, according to cargo tracking firm Kpler, the Idku plant is already sending out cargoes, emphasising that Egypt’s domestic production is beginning to fill this supposedly available access to the global markets. It also ignores the fact that the Idku plant started up with off-take agreements in place, with the volumes fully contracted to what are now divisions of Shell and Total. There is nothing to suggest these contracts are no longer in place. The idea that producers, based in Cyprus, Israel or Egypt themselves, can use Idku or Damietta — where most of the capacity is contracted to a division of Spain’s Naturgy and where court rulings seem to emphasise that previous contractual obligations remain in place — as a cheap and easy tolling facility, delivering gas and getting a cargo of LNG in return, does not stand up to any scrutiny.

https://www.petroleum-economist.com/articles/midstream-downstream/lng/2019/egypt-looks-to-lng-quick-fix

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the newest vessel from AIDA Cruises, Germany’s leader in cruising – was fueled for the first time in the Mediterranean with LNG, the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. Currently, alongside Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona is the second start-and- end destination for AIDAnova’s seven-day cruises in the Mediterranean. With Carnival Corporation’s partnership with Shell Western LNG B.V. (Shell), the cruise ship will be regularly supplied with LNG at the Spanish metropolis. Commissioned on Dec. 12, 2008, with four dual-fuel engines and three gas tanks on board, AIDAnova is the world’s first cruise ship that will be operated in port and at sea with low-emission liquefied natural gas. Emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides are eliminated almost completely, while nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emissions are sustainably reduced. Two of the tanks each have a length of around 35 meters, a diameter of 8 meters and a capacity of 1,550 cubic meters. A third, smaller tank with a diameter of 5 meters, is 28 meters long and has a capacity of approximately 520 cubic meters. It has been over 10 years since Carnival Corporation and AIDA Cruises started investing in LNG propulsion technology. Two additional ships of this new AIDA generation will join the AIDA fleet in 2021 and 2023. Carnival Corporation leads the industry with the adoption of LNG, with a total of 10 next-generation “green” cruise ships able to be powered by LNG in port and at sea on order with delivery dates between 2019 and 2025.

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c7-lng-h2-blends/aidanova-becomes-the-first-ship-to-be-supplied-with-lng-in-mediterranean/

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According to data compiled by Baleària and Naturgy between June 2017 and October 2018, the use of this auxiliary engine also meant a very significant reduction in pollutant emissions harmful to health. Specifically, the reduction in CO2 emissions was around 1,300 tonnes while NOx emissions were almost 20 tonnes. The reduction of SOx emissions was close to two tons and the reduction of particle emissions was almost total. The president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, pointed out Baleària’s commitment to an eco-efficient fleet is reflected in smart ships propelled by natural gas. “In addition to this pilot project, which we value very positively, the shipping company already has two ships sailing with LNG, two new constructions and the remotorization of five more ships. In this sense, the ferry Abel Matutes will be the next to sail completely with this clean energy.” Utor also highlighted Baleària’s conviction to use LNG and contribute to the fight against climate change. “The results obtained in this study and related to safety, efficiency, reduction of emissions and noise, as well as fuel consumption, among others, have been better than expected”, explained Vicente Gramuntell, Director of Iberia Operations at Naturgy, during the presentation of the main conclusions of the initiative. “Our collaboration with Baleària is another example of the importance of defining and designing feasible and innovative technological solutions for the generation of clean auxiliary energy.”

https://www.ngvglobal.com/blog/naturgy-and-balearia-data-shows-lng-delivers-huge-benefits-as-marine-fuel-0425[Edited-Part]

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The issue was debated during an Oval Office meeting on Monday, following requests from Puerto Rico and pressure from oil industry leaders to ease the nearly 100-year-old Jones Act requirements, according to three people. Although top administration officials are divided on the issue, Trump is now leaning in favor of some kind of waiver, said two of the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss the private deliberations. The move — which would be fought by U.S shipbuilding interests and their allies on Capitol Hill — has been promoted as essential to lower the cost of energy in Puerto Rico and ease the flow of American natural gas to the U.S. Northeast, where there aren’t enough pipelines to deliver the product from Pennsylvania. But even inside the Trump administration, there are fierce defenders of the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring that vessels moving cargo between two U.S. ports be U.S.-built, -owned and -crewed. The law was originally designed to protect the domestic shipping industry and the country’s maritime might, and supporters argue that it’s just as essential today to ensure ships are made in the U.S. Any move to weaken or waive the requirements threatens the U.S. shipbuilding industry and the jobs tied to it, they argue. Although no large LNG carriers comply with Jones Act requirements today, federal law already makes an exception for foreign tankers built before 1996 to transport LNG to the island, as long as they are brought under the U.S. flag. American shipbuilders also are constructing a wave of new LNG bunker barges capable of refueling ships and delivering the fuel to other facilities. Conrad Industries Inc. delivered the first U.S.-built LNG bunker barge last year, at least a second is already under construction, and maritime experts more demand to service LNG-powered cruise ships.

https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/trump_may_waive_us_ship_mandate_for_natural_gas-24-apr-2019-158684-article/[Edited]

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In addition to addressing shipping requirements for the North Field Expansion Project, the tender covers shipping requirements for the LNG volumes that will be purchased and offtaken by Ocean LNG (a 70%-30% joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil) from the Golden Pass LNG export project in the United States, which is currently under construction and is planned to start by 2024. The tender also includes options for replacement requirements for Qatar’s existing LNG fleet. Commenting on this occasion, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “With this significant step, Qatar Petroleum embarks on another major LNG ship-building campaign expected to initially deliver 60 LNG carriers in support of the planned production expansion, with a potential to exceed 100 new LNG carriers over the next decade. This important initiative reinforces Qatar Petroleum’s commitment to its global reputation as a safe and reliable LNG producer at all times and under all circumstances.” Qatar Petroleum has entrusted Qatargas to execute this LNG ship building program on its behalf. As the World’s Premier LNG Company, Qatargas has an established history of safely and successfully delivering such major projects. This includes the previous campaign that resulted in the construction of 45 Q-Flex and Q-Max ships, the world’s largest LNG carriers, which constitute the backbone of Qatar’s LNG carrier fleet today. Al Kaabi added: “This tender, along with the recently released Engineering, Procurement and Construction tender for four new mega LNG trains planned as part of the North Field Expansion Project, constitute two monumental and historical milestones as we make major strides in our commitment towards the further development of the world’s largest non-associated gas field.”

Source: LNG Global

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But an abundance of supply has helped keep prices subdued, meaning the most profitable trade is in renting out vessels to transport it. Reflecting the white-hot demand for ships, over a dozen different companies, including energy majors BP and ExxonMobil, trading house Trafigura and gas utility Centrica are already looking to charter boats for the winter, according to four shipping industry sources, months earlier than usual. ExxonMobil, Centrica and Trafigura declined to comment. BP did not respond to requests for comment. Energy firms are trying to avoid getting stuck without ships on charter for the winter, when cold weather typically drives up trade in LNG and, consequently, transport costs. They also want to profit off less nimble rivals. Last winter, spot charter rates – the cost of renting a ship to transport LNG in real-time – soared to almost $200,000 per day in November compared to around $40,000 in May, squeezing those companies which had left it too late to secure vessels cheaply. Currently, spot rates are around $40,000 per day while rates for charters covering next winter are between $70,000-$80,000 a day, two shipping industry sources said. Energy groups including Shell, BP, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), Cheniere and Gazprom, utilities Naturgy and Centrica and trading firms such as Gunvor and Trafigura are renting vessels for months or years and sub-letting some of them to competitors, according to half a dozen sources. None of the firms would comment. The market for LNG freight trade is relatively new and many companies are reluctant to talk about trading strategies, which are still being developed. “We see LNG shipping as a commodity on its own,” said Niels Fenzl, Vice President Transportation and Terminals at Uniper, an energy firm which along with Shell, pioneered freight trade within the LNG market.

Source: LNG Global[Edited]

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in accordance with the Technical reference (TR) 56 standard for LNG bunkering in Singapore. Since May 2018, FueLNG has been providing truck-to-ship LNG bunkering for two dual-fuel tugs operated by Keppel Smit Towage. FueLNG is also able to provide LNG for the commissioning of LNG systems and machinery, and trials for gas-fuelled vessels. In September 2017, FueLNG completed its first operation and provided LNG for the commissioning of the floating liquefaction vessel Hilli Episeyo. Mr Chris Ong, Chairman, FueLNG and CEO, Keppel O&M, said, “This milestone is testament to FueLNG’s ability to provide safe, cost-efficient and reliable LNG bunkering for our clients. We are optimistic that the industry will increasingly adopt LNG as a marine fuel and look forward to furthering our partnership with industry stakeholders to build a world-class LNG bunkering network in Singapore.” Mr Tahir Faruqui, Director, FueLNG and Head, Shell Global Downstream LNG, added, “By leveraging the strengths of its parent companies, FueLNG is able to provide comprehensive solutions for a range of activities such as LNG bunkering and distribution to industrial and consumer customers. The delivery of our LNG bunkering vessel in 2020 is an important step for growing a robust and reliable global LNG fuel supply chain in the years to come as we will be able to increase the availability of LNG with ship-to-ship services for our end clients.” Mr Romi Kaushal, Managing Director of Keppel Smit Towage, said, “We are glad to be one of the leaders in the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel, which has enabled us to not only reduce sulphur oxide emissions but increase our cost-efficiency. This milestone proves the commercial and operational viability of LNG, and we look forward to continuing the partnership with FueLNG to enhance bunkering standards and operations.”

FueLNG is committed to promoting LNG as a marine fuel and has placed an order with Keppel O&M to build South East Asia’s first LNG bunkering vessel, which is projected to be completed in 3Q 2020. This will enable FueLNG to provide ship-to-ship bunkering services to global customers within the Singapore port.

https://www.ngvglobal.com/blog/fuelng-chalks-up-bunkering-century-on-singapore-scoreboard-0418[Edited]

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