NGS’ NG/LNG SNAPSHOT – Sept16-30, 2021
National News Internatonal News
NATIONAL NEWS
City Gas Distribution & Auto LPG
PNGRB seeks bids for city gas license for 65 geographical areas
Oil regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) invited bids for giving out city gas retailing license in 65 geographical areas (GAs) including Jammu, Nagpur, Pathankot and
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Madurai. Bids for the 65 GAs being offered in the 11th city gas licensing round are due on December 15, PNGRB said in a statement. Presently, there are 228 geographical areas authorized by PNGRB in 27 states and UTs covering approximately 53 per cent of the country’s geographical area and 70 per cent of its population.
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Confidence lays foundation stone for 20 CNG stations in Bengaluru
Confidence Petroleum was nominated to set up and operate 100 CNG stations in Bengaluru city by Gail Gas, the CGD awardee. Confidence Petroleum laid the foundation stones for the first 20 CNG stations (of total 100) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
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The ceremony was held in August presence of Raman Chadha (CEO, Gail Gas), Vivek Wathodkar (Chief General Manager, CGD Bengaluru) and Vimal Parwal (President, Confidence Petroleum).
Confidence group is committed to cleaner air and clean environment, with LPG and CNG offerings in Bengaluru. This year Confidence is setting up CNG stations in Lalbag, Yelahanka, Vijay Nagar, Peenya, UttarahalliHobli, Konanakunte, Electronic City, Kormangala, Kengere, Nayandahalli, JP Nagar. With this, the Confidence group will set up 20 CNG stations by March 2022 and the remaining 100 Stations will be set up in the next 3 years. This will immensely benefit the Auto, Car, LCV, Trucks segment as they will ply on CNG as the petrol and diesel prices spiral upwards.
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Adani loses out to Gujarat Gas on city gas distribution network
The Supreme Court threw out Adani Gas Ltd’s challenge to the decision of the PNGRB to award the city natural gas distribution (CGD) network for Sanand, Bavla and Dholka in Gujarat to Gujarat Gas.
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A bench of Justices U U Lalit, S R Bhat and Hrishikesh Roy not only rejected Adani Gas’s appeal against the Gujarat HC order, but also slapped a cost of Rs 10 lakh on it for acting naive about rules and regulations despite taking advantage of the same norms to bag gas distribution network projects in Ahmedabad municipal area.
Adani had challenged the validity of Regulation 18 of the PNGRB (Authorizing Entities to Lay, Build, Operate or Expand City or Local Natural Gas Distribution Networks) Regulations, 2008 as violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India, and ultra vires Section 16 of the PNGRB Act, 2006. Adani had also challenged the grant of authorization to Gujarat Gas for laying and maintaining a gas distribution network. Gujarat Gas had succeeded in securing the authorization in an auction held by the PNGRB.
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Shift public transport vehicles in NCR to CNG: Delhi to neighbouring states
Delhi has suggested its surrounding states to shift their public transport vehicles in the National Capital Region to CNG and adopt a policy to promote electric vehicles, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said.
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Rai made the suggestions during an online meeting of NCR states convened by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. M M Kutty, the chairman of the Centre’s Commission for Air Quality Management, also attended the meeting.
“Delhi has suggested that neighbouring states shift their public transport vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR) to CNG and adopt an electric vehicle policy,” Rai told a press conference after the meeting. Other states have also been asked to do so, but the slow pace of work is concerning. Delhi has urged that it be expedited to control industrial pollution, Rai said.
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Electric Mobility/ Hydrogen/ Bio- Methane
Punjab’s 1st bio-CNG plant to start operations in November 2021
Punjab’s first stubble-based bio-CNG plant that is supposed to start operations by November this year would start collecting paddy residue. From the next financial year, the plant may get fully operational,
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Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA) officials said. Coming up with a motive to manage paddy stubble, which is mostly burnt by farmers in the fields, the bio-CNG plant at Bhutalkalan village of Lehragaga in Sangrur is capable to utilize around 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy residue each year. But, this year it may collect around 50,000 tonnes of paddy straw. It is one of the largest compressed biogas (CBG) plants that will produce more than 33 tonnes of CBG or bio-CNG. This plant is based on German technology and is similar to a plant already established in Pune. It is being set up by German-based Verbio India Private Limited and would collect the paddy from the villages in its periphery.
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Indraprastha Gas to Set up Waste-To-Energy Plant in Delhi
Gas retailer Indraprastha Gas has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to establish a waste-to-energy plant in Delhi.
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It will convert municipal solid waste into compressed bio-gas (CBG) for use as fuel for vehicles, India’s oil and gas ministry said on September 27.
The agreement was signed as a part of an extension of the Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative of the government. The SATAT scheme envisages the setting up of 5,000 CBG plants by 2023-24 with a production target of 15mn metric tons/year.
“By using municipal solid waste as input, this initiative involves a multi-pronged approach to reduce municipal waste on one hand and produce clean energy on the other in a sustainable manner,” the ministry said.
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/indraprastha-gas-to-set-up-waste-to-energy-plant-in-delhi-92491
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Union Cabinet Approves Rs 26,000-Crore PLI Scheme for Auto, Drone Industry
To boost electric vehicle and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle manufacturing in the country, the Union Cabinet approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme with an outlay of Rs 26,058 crore for the automobile and drone sector.
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The PLI scheme for the auto sector will incentivize high value advanced automotive technology vehicles and products and thousands of jobs, the central government added.
Earlier last year, the Union Cabinet had approved PLI scheme with an outlay of Rs 57,043 crore for auto manufacturing industry. The PLI scheme was later modified to focus on advanced automotive technologies. The makers of petrol, diesel, and CNG vehicle makers will not be covered under the scheme.
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For zero-emission urban freight delivery
NITI Aayog’s ‘Shoonya’ initiative, aimed at fully electrifying urban delivery vehicles in the next two years, makes sense. The shoonya, or zero-emission, electric vehicles (EVs) would reduce pollution levels, curtail petroleum imports and
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bring macroeconomic benefits. Urban freight vehicles account for over 10% of carbon emissions in the transportation sector, and the segment’s emissions are projected to grow as much as 114% over the decade. Hence the pressing need for a proactive policy to curb these emissions. Besides, the estimated 175 million two-wheelers on the road today consume the bulk of petrol nationally; other freight vehicles also considerably boost demand for diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG).
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Bio-fuel plant soon to be set up in Malkangiri (Odisha)
Uttam Kumar Mallick, a young entrepreneur from Sonali village in MPV-69 under Podia block here has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Meera Clean Fuels Limited (MCL),
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a green initiative of Union MSME Ministry, to set up a bio-fuel plant in at Gorakhpalli village in Motu tehsil at a cost of `30 crore.
Later, the gas will be compressed at high pressure and supplied through pipeline to different locations. CNG is an upgraded version of Compressed Bio Gas, said Uttam, adding machinery for the plant will be procured from a German company by MCL. Napier grass will be ready after three months of cultivation. The plant will produce around 10 tonne CNG and 15 tonne organic fertiliser a day. The CNG will be supplied across Malkangiri and the surplus sent to other districts of Odisha, Uttam said.
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India will be more green than hydrogen
In recent weeks, zero-carbon (“green”) hydrogen has moved from the margins of India’s energy infrastructure planning to centre stage. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech included the announcement of a
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National Green Hydrogen Mission aimed at kickstarting development and deployment of the emerging technology, while the International Climate Summit in New Delhi took up as its theme “Powering India’s Hydrogen Ecosystem.” PM Modi’s recent meetings in Washington also focused on green hydrogen as a key tool in India’s arsenal to combat the climate crisis.
Investing in green hydrogen is prudent — its energy density and ease of storage could allow it to cut emissions in sectors where existing approaches to clean electricity will likely prove inadequate, such as long distance transportation or steel manufacturing. Yet, trumpeting the potential of hydrogen might also distract from more pressing priorities for clean energy.
https://www.energyinfrapost.com/india-will-need-more-than-green-hydrogen/
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Govt Goes on EV overdrive, to buy buses, PV’s and three-wheelers in bulk
EV plans are getting a mega charge from the government which plans to bulk buy electric buses, e-cars and SUVs and e-three wheelers in the next two years to drive up EV usage in India.According to Mahua Acharya, MD&CEO, Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL),
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the mandate is to buy as many as 3400 e-buses, around 1,200 e-cars and SUVs and around 100,000 e-three wheelers over the next 12-18 months using bulk purchases, Fame 2 and state subsidies in order to get a better price.
That includes bulk orders like 226 vehicles for the Kolkata police and another 700 odd vehicles from the Kerala government and Coal India. CESL is working with “vehicle leasing companies” to process these orders.
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Assam announces Electric Vehicle Policy, targets 2 lakh EVs in next five years
To add two lakhs electric vehicles in next five years, Assam government has come up with Electric Vehicle Policy of Assam, 2021. The government has set a target to convert 100% of the public transport bus fleet into electric buses (Battery Electric Vehicles) by 2030
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besides all Government vehicles to be converted to electric vehicles by 2030.
After 2025, only Electric Vehicles will be allowed to purchase and phase out all fossil fuel based commercial fleets and logistics vehicles in all cities by 2030.
According to the policy, the population of over four million vehicles on the roads in Assam has made mobility a challenge. Further, huge numbers of vehicles plying from the neighboring states as well as from other parts of the country add to the vehicular population resulting in road accidents and air pollution.
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Natural Gas/ Pipelines/ Company News
ONGC puts 2nd well in KG block on production
Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), India’s biggest oil and gas producer, has put a second well in its promising KG basin block into production. ONGC has started gas production from its second deep-water U1B well in KG-DWN-98/2 Block’s Cluster-II on August 31, 2021.
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Considered to be the largest subsea project in India, block 98/2 is expected to have a total peak gas production rate of around 16 million metric standard cubic meters per day, with peak oil production rate estimated to be 80,000 barrels per day.
ONGC had achieved first gas from the USD 5 billion KG-DWN-98/2 or KG-D5 project in the Krishna Godavari basin in the Bay of Bengal in June last year. Augmenting production from the project thereafter got hit by supply disruption world over caused by the Covid pandemic.
ONGC drilled 480 wells were drilled during the year, 100 of these were exploratory wells while the rest 380 were development and side-tracked wells. The firm produced 22.5 million tonnes of crude oil in 2020-21 fiscal and 22.816 billion cubic meters of gas.ONGC Energy Centre has taken up the first geothermal energy pilot project in Ladakh wherein it has been planned to drill Geo-Thermal wells and establish a 1-megawatt power plant at Puga, Ladakh.
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L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering bags ‘significant’ orders ranging between Rs 1,000 cr and Rs 2,500 cr
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said one of its wholly-owned arm has bagged two orders in the construction services segment – one each from GAIL India and Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases LLC.
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The company did not provide the value of the contracts, but said the orders fall under the ‘significant’ category, which ranges between Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 2,500 crore, according to the classification of contracts. “L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering Ltd (LTHE)… Has bagged two orders in the construction services segment – one each from GAIL India and Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases LLC,” the company said in a regulatory filing.
L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. The first order is for GAIL India’s Mumbai-Nagpur Pipeline, under which the company will be responsible for laying steel gas pipeline-section 1 of Part A and construction of terminals along with associated facilities, the filing said.The pipeline project, due to be laid alongside the upcoming Mumbai-Nagpur super communication expressway, has a schedule of 14 months, the filing said. LTHE’s second order comes from Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases LLC for its Industrial Gas Hub (IGH) Network project at Jubail, KSA.
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BPCL to invest Rs 1 lakh cr to become future-ready
Privatization-bound Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) plans to invest over Rs 1 lakh crore over the next five years in raising petrochemical production capacity, gas business, clean fuel, and augmenting marketing infrastructure, said its chairman Arun Kumar Singh .
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The investment will help BPCL prepare for the future where conventional fuels and zero-carbon mobility in form of electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen will co-exist while giving it the option to convert a greater degree of crude oil directly into high-value petrochemicals.
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IGL gives out record 3.1 lakh new PNG connections in Delhi-NCR
Despite the Covid-induced heavy restrictions, the Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) managed to give out a record 3.1 lakh new piped natural gas connections to households in Delhi and adjoining areas in 2020-21.
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The net worth of the firm – that retails CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to household kitchens in the national capital and adjoining cities – was over ₹5,800 crore as of March 31, 2021.
With the improved situation, IGL is expected to perform better in 2021-22, said Singh. He also gave an overview of the future plans of the organization involving the consolidation of its presence in existing areas as well as expansion in new geographical areas.
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Policy Matters/ Gas Pricing/Others
Gas price on IGX double since April, households to feel impact soon
Domestic gas price to be revised upwards from October 1. The average price of natural gas on the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) has more than doubled from April 2021 and is now trading at around $ 13.8 per million British thermal units (mBtu) in September 2021.
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Centre Will Increase Production Of Oil & Natural Gas To 18 MMT In North-East : Union Minister HS Puri
On Friday, September 24, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) organized an interactive meet with the industry and business leaders in Guwahati. Titled E&P Investment Opportunities in North Eastern Region, the theme of this event is aligned to ‘Hydrocarbon Vision 2030’ for the region.
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The event has been attended by Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri; Minister of State (MoS) for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Rameswar Teli; and Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.While addressing the media persons, Mr. Puri asserted that Union Petroleum & Natural gas Ministry has decided to increase the production of oil and natural gas from 9 MMT to 18 MMT in the North Eastern region, which indicates doubling the production of liquid hydrocarbon and natural gas in North Eastern states.The Union Minister said that special bidding ground would also be provided into this region and asked the investors to explore this region in oil and gas sector as it can provide ample opportunities for them.
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Record-high LNG prices will hurt sector in long run: GAIL Chairman Manoj Jain
Record-high liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices will hurt the industries’ switch to natural gas, and delay India’s plan to shift to cleaner fuel. While higher prices are expanding the country’s largest natural margins,
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they are a “setback” to consumers.
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Gas price on IGX double since April, households to feel impact soon
Domestic gas price to be revised upwards from October 1. The average price of natural gas on the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) has more than doubled from April 2021 and is now trading at around $ 13.8 per million British thermal units (mBtu) in September 2021.
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This reflects strong demand for spot gas in the market that also saw prices rising on global cues. According to data compiled by the Indian Gas Exchange, the weighted average price of gas sale in April 2021 stood at $ 6.1 per mBtu. The price has been on a steady rise every subsequent month and closed August 2021 at 12.5 per mBtu. It is expected that September prices, that are already higher than last month, will maintain the upward trajectory.
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LNG Development and Shipping
THE secures LNG tank order for Dahej LNG project
L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, has won a significant order from Petronet LNG (PLL), a joint venture company promoted by four leading PSUs viz., Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), GAIL (India), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL).
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The contract is for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of two LNG storage tanks with a capacity of 170 000 m3 each for Phase IIIB of the Dahej Expansion Project in Dahej, Gujarat, India. The project has been awarded through an international competitive bidding on Lumpsum Turnkey (LSTK) basis. The award demonstrates PLL’s trust on LTHE’s capability to deliver the project within a challenging schedule while ensuring quality performance.
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/20092021/lthe-secures-lng-tank-order/
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Natural Gas / Transnational Pipelines/ Others
Egypt extends natural gas exploration auctions to end of September
Nine international natural gas exploration auctions that were announced in March have been extended until the end of September, said the Magdy Galal, chairman of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.
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Four projects were implemented for the development and production of gas from the discovered fields with investments of more than $4 billion, and 15 new wells were placed on the gas production map, with an average daily production of 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas and more than 25,000 barrels of condensate. The total average production of natural gas amounted to more than 6.8 billion cubic feet, covering the entire needs of the local market. The average daily local consumption of natural gas amounted to more than 6 billion cubic feet.
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US: Shell starts production at its first U.S. renewable natural gas facility
Shell Oil Products US, subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has successfully achieved startup and production at its first U.S. biomethane facility, Shell New Energies Junction City in Oregon. The plant utilizes locally sourced cow manure and excess agricultural residues to produce an expected 736,000 MMBtu
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a year of biomethane. This milestone is part of a growing portfolio of developing renewable natural gas production and distribution assets supporting low-carbon intensity bio-CNG as fuel for heavy-duty, on-road transport.
Shell is developing additional renewable natural gas production facilities to be located directly within operating dairies. Shell Downstream Galloway at the High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains, Kansas and Shell Downstream Bovarius at the Bettencourt Dairies in Wendell, Idaho are part of this expanding biofuels portfolio utilizing cow manure as feedstock. Together, these two dairy biomethane facilities can produce approximately 900,000 MMBtu a year of negative carbon intensity biofuel.
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US: PennEast becomes the latest to scuttle a natural gas pipeline project
PennEast Pipeline said it would stop developing a proposed pipeline from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, the latest in a series of natural gas lines to run aground due to legal and regulatory challenges.
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The project was one of several proposed in recent years to draw gas from the fast-growing Appalachian region, only to run into local or environmental opposition to more fossil-fuel infrastructure. Gas prices have surged worldwide due to rising demand and lack of supply. In the United States, there is plenty of product available for heating and power generation. But with the cancellation of PennEast and other pipelines, the industry is becoming more concerned that additional production from the Marcellus/Utica shale in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia will become trapped in the basin.
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Global LNG Development
Brazil: Petrobras signs contract for the leasing of Bahia LNG Terminal
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras, following the release disclosed on August 26, 2021, informs that today it signed with Excelerate Energy Comercializadora de Gás Natural Ltda. (Excelerate) the lease contract of the LNG Regasification Terminal of Bahia (TR-BA) and
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associated facilities, in the amount of approximately R$ 102 million, effective until December 2023, in addition to other ancillary contracts associated with the process.
The initiative is an important step in the process of opening and increasing the competitiveness of the natural gas segment in Brazil and is foreseen in the Term of Commitment of Cessation (TCC) signed with the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) to build a favorable environment for the entry of new investors in the sector.With the conclusion of the negotiation, Excelerate is seeking, with the support of Petrobras, the transfer of the licenses and authorizations necessary for the operation of a new regasification vessel at TR-BA. As soon as the new company is able to operate, Petrobras will move its regasification vessel that is in TR-BA to the LNG Regasification Terminal of Pecém, in Ceará.
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/petrobras-signs-contract-for-the-leasing-of-bahia-lng-terminal/
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Singapore: LNG prices stabilize, but demand still firm for winter in Singapore
Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rose to new seasonal highs earlier this week on the back of record high natural gas prices in Europe, but prices tapered off slightly on 17th Sept, industry sources said.
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Fundamentally, the demand is still there as utilities and other buyers need to stock up for winter, but with prices rising so much, there is some profit-taking happening in derivatives which is spilling over to the physical market,” a Singapore-based trader said.
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Latin American LNG Demand Booming Amid Tight Global Natural Gas Market
Latin American liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand has had a record year in 2021 and it is not letting up, tightening a global gas market that has sent prices spiking around the world. Imports of LNG into Latin America for the first eight months of the year added up to 10.44 million tons,
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according to market research firm Kpler. Imports were 120% higher than in the comparable period last year, and up 36% compared with the January-August period in 2019. LNG imports into Latin America to date in September, at 1.02 million tons, are already double the entire month of September 2020, according to Kpler.
Argentina and Chile LNG imports have also been robust, in particular during the colder May-September months, according to Kpler data. Latin American LNG imports have continued to be hot so far this September, with the 1 million ton mark already eclipsed for the fifth consecutive month. Kpler is forecasting that in September, Latin America LNG imports should total around 1.5-1.6 million tons.
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Romania: OMV Petrom Delivers First LNG
Austro-Romanian Oil Company OMV Petrom has completed the first ever delivery of LNG in Romania, the company announced on September 17, for fuelling a ship at the port of Mangalia. The ship in question was built at the Damen shipyard at Mangalia.
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OMV Petrom is looking to expand its gas business in Romania, attracted by strong demand prospects and viewing gas as having a key role to play in the country’s energy transition. In June it secured a licence to commercialise LNG in Romania, and launched a new gas sales platform. LNG produces less CO2 and other emissions compared with oil-based fuels, and is expected to see a rapid expansion in use in shipping over the coming years, as vessel owners seek to comply with stricter rules on pollutants. Shipping services group Clarksons recently estimated that 30% of new ships ordered this year in gross tonnage terms will be designed to run on LNG.
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/omv-petrom-delivers-first-lng-in-romania-92145
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Greece: Alexandroupolis natural gas project included in EU funding
The new independent natural gas system constructed in Alexandroupolis, which includes a floating unit for the import, temporary storage, and liquefaction of gas, has been included in the NSRF funds for 2014-2020, the Development & Investments Ministry said.
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Budgeted at 363.7 million euros, the Greek state’s share is 166.7 million euros. The system is expected to operation in December 2023, and will distribute gas to the Greek and Southeastern European markets. Alexandroupolis will become the fourth Greek import gate for natural gas, with a maximum capacity of up to 944,000 cubic meters per hour or 8.3 billion annually. Its storage capacity for liquefied natural gas will be 170,000 cubic meters.
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LNG by rail worldwide closer to reality after test in Germany
Although Germany and Europe are far behind the U.S. in many ways, they are ahead of us in one way: LNG by rail. Three European LNG (liquefied natural gas) companies combined to successfully test an LNG delivery by
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railcar to a German power plant in Bavaria owned by utility company Uniper. The LNG was shipped some 500 miles (800 kilometers) without any problems. The specialized tank cars, if widely adopted in Europe, will no doubt make their way across the planet, including here in the U.S. LNG by rail is an important alternative to pipelines, especially in the U.S.
https://marcellusdrilling.com/2021/09/lng-by-rail-worldwide-closer-to-reality-after-test-in-germany/
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Russia: Arctic LNG 2: an ambitious gas project
The Arctic LNG 2 project will consist of three liquefaction trains capable of producing 19.8 Mtpa of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 1.6 Mtpa of initial condensate. The project has been set up in the Gyda Peninsula in the western Siberia region of Russia. Its location on the banks of the Ob river positions it opposite the Yamal LNG site.
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The limited liability company (LLC) Arctic LNG 2 operates and owns all the assets. It is a joint venture including TotalEnergies (10%), Novatek (60%), Chinese corporations: CNPC (10%) and CNOOC (10%), and Japan Arctic LNG (a consortium formed by Japanese companies Mitsui and JOGMEC) (10%). The Arctic LNG 2 project taps the potential of the giant Utrenneye onshore field, providing volumes in excess of 7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe). In 2018, the front-end engineering design (FEED) was completed and work began on site preparation with the construction of early-phase power supply facilities, the drilling of production, and the construction of the quayside. The participants in the Arctic LNG 2 project approved the final investment decision (FID) for the project in September 2019. Construction is ongoing, and the first train of the project is scheduled to start up in 2023, with the second train in 2024 and the third train in 2025.
https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=279292
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Sri Lanka: New Fortress to build LNG terminal off Colombo
To support Sri Lanka’s transition to ‘cleaner fuels’ New Fortress Energy is to build a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off the coast of the country’s capital city, Colombo.
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The terminal will support the receiving, storage and regasification of natural gas and the company intends to provide the equivalent of around 1.2 million gallons of LNG per day.
Recognising the development as a ‘significant milestone’ for Sri Lanka’s adoption of cleaner fuels, Wes Edens, Chairman, CEO, New Fortress Energy, said, “We are pleased to partner with Sri Lanka by investing in modern energy infrastructure that will support sustainable economic development and environmental gains.”
https://www.gasworld.com/new-fortress-to-build-lng-terminal-off-colombo/2021770.article
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US: Cheniere La. Sabine 6 LNG export unit moves closer to entering service
U.S. energy regulators gave Cheniere Energy Inc permission to introduce feedgas to commission parts of the sixth liquefaction train at the U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company’s Sabine Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana.
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The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval was in response to Cheniere’s Sept. 15 request. Feedgas is the natural gas from pipelines that the plant will turn into LNG. Cheniere has said it expects Train 6 will enter commercial service in early 2022, but analysts note the unit will likely start producing LNG in test mode later this year.Cheniere is the biggest LNG exporter in the United States and is also the country’s biggest buyer of natural gas. In addition to Sabine, which will have the capacity to produce around 30 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG once Train 6 enters service, Cheniere also owns the three-train, 15-MTPA Corpus Christi LNG export plant in Texas.
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Natural Gas / LNG Utilization
Vinnytsia, one of the most livable cities of Ukraine commits to natural gas buses
Turkey’s bus brand Otokar maintains its high momentum in exports. With more than 35,000 buses operating in over 50 countries and offering comfortable and safe travel for millions of passengers. Otokar made its most recent delivery to Vinnytsia,
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Ukraine. This country has multiple historical sites on the UNESCO world heritage list, and Vinnytsia has been named one of the most livable cities of the country six times. The Otokar Kent CNG bus is now a new favorite of public transportation in the city, as Vinnytsia Transport Company received 10 of these vehicles.
The delivery ceremony for the new buses, which started a green transformation in public transit, took place with wide participation, including Mayor of Vinnytsia Serhii Morhunov and other city authorities, as well representatives from the dealership Modern Trucks and Otokar. Kent buses come with a modern interior and exterior design, eco-friendly engine, and excellent handling, and stand out with their low-floor entrance, high passenger capacity, and powerful air conditioning. They ensure maximum safety with features including ABS, ASR, disc brakes, and anti-jamming door systems, promising superior comfort in public transit.
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Canada, British Columbia: FortisBC resurrects renewable natural gas program after securing new supply
FortisBC says it’s reopening the renewable natural gas (RNG) program to its natural gas customers on Oct. 15. FortisBC first started its RNG program in 2011, but as more customers signed on for it, demand for RNG outpaced supply i
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n late 2019 and the program was temporarily paused with around 10,000 customers subscribed to the program.
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US: Ohio: Ohio transit agency will add new natural gas buses from New Flyer
NFI Group Inc. announced that the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has exercised options for 18 Xcelsior® CNG 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses, converted from NFI subsidiary
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New Flyer of America Inc.’s backlog. The award follows COTA’s second option conversion of 28 CNG buses, delivered earlier this year.
COTA provides public transit in the greater Columbus and central Ohio region, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, delivered more than 19 million passenger trips a year. It has been named Outstanding Midsize Public Transit Organization twice by the American Public Transportation Association, receiving the international recognition in 2018 and 2020.
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Armenia: Yerevan capital city rolls out more than 200 natural gas buses
Allison Transmission and Chinese bus manufacturer Zhongtong Bus Holding Co., Ltd. joined forces to deliver 211 CNG city buses to Yerevan. The new vehicles are equipped with Allison T270R transmissions and
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will provide commuters in Armenia’s capital with a greener, more convenient and comfortable way to travel. Due to their environmental friendliness and lower noise compared to buses with diesel engines, natural gas buses fit best in the intensely populated metropolis like Yerevan.
Catering for inner city traffic, this 8-meter-long low-entry vehicle is the product of Zhongtong’s sophisticated bus making platform and meets the operational needs of Yerevan’s public transport.
The bus model has 25 seats and is rated for 60 passengers. Powered by a 200hp Weichai CNG engine and an Allison T270R fully automatic transmission with gross input torque 900Nm, the bus complies with Euro V pollutant emission standards. The transmission also features 6 forward speeds, 1 reverse and an integral retarder which extends the life of the brakes and lowers maintenance costs.
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Ukraine: Over 300 OKKO sites offer LNG filling services
Ukraine’s filling station network will count up to 312 sites with LNG filling points available by the end of 2021, approximately 75% coverage of its retail footprint. Ukraine’s filling station network OKKO will count up to 312 sites with liquified natural gas (LNG) filling points available by the end of 2021.
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The company has already put into operation 18 LNG filling modules this year, and plans to install another 4 by December 2021.
In 2021, OKKO installed new LNG filling points in the following locations: 4 in Kiev, 3 in Vinnytsia region, 2 in Ternopil and Zaporizhia regions, and one each in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, Rivne and Luhansk regions.Over the last 5 years, OKKO has increased by one and a half times its number of fuel stations serving natural gas vehicle refuelling. In addition, the company built a location for liquefied gas storage in Zolochiv, Lviv region. A subsidiary of the OKKO Group (Galnaftogaz Concern), OKKO is today one of the largest filling networks in Ukraine with over 410 facilities.
https://www.petrolplaza.com/news/28209
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Chile: HAM and Lipigas open Chile’s first LNG refueling station
The energy company Lipigas and HAM Chile, subsidiary of HAM Group, were in charge of the design, construction and commissioning of the first LNG service station in Chile. The new station, which incorporates the latest innovations in this type of facility, is located at the facilities of
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Transportes San Gabriel, Linares, Maule Region, very close to Ruta Cinco Sur (Panamerican Highway in Chile), which is part of the main artery of land communication in the country.
This project has been possible thanks to Lipigas, Transportes San Gabriel and the multinational AB InBev, a company that will add 35 LNG-fueled trucks to its fleet, which will refuel at the new service station, contributing to a reduction of more than 800 tons per year of CO2 emissions and an 80% reduction in fine particles.
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Scania launches new 13-liter natural gas engine
Scania, a global OEM focused on heavy-duty transportation applications, has developed an all-new 13-liter natural gas engine that can run on either compressed natural gas (including biogas) or liquefied natural gas, along with new on-board CNG and
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LNG tank options. The new engine is currently available as an option on the recently introduced high-floor Scania K-chassis for coach buses. The chassis offers the driveability and reliability associated with Scania, along with an increase in load capacity in the front axle by 500 kg, which enables improved weight distribution and higher passenger and luggage capacity.
Currently, biogas is used in compressed form mainly by city and suburban buses, cars and light transport vehicles, but it has been less competitive for heavy, long-distance vehicles. New LNG technology has helped solve that challenge. By switching to locally produced liquid biogas as fuel, operators can reduce both their own and their customers’ climate impact by up to 90 percent. Air quality in general is positively affected by reduced emissions, and the quieter vehicles benefit drivers, passengers and crew.
https://ngtnews.com/scania-launches-new-13-liter-natural-gas-engine
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Argentina: IVECO updates CNG Tector
Within the framework of the “Sustainable Mobility Week”, IVECO organized a virtual event to encourage the reduction of the environmental impact generated by means of transport. In this context,
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the brand presented its renewed CNG Tector truck, a product of its wide portfolio of vehicles powered by alternative energies. Manufactured at the Ferreyra Industrial Pole, in the city of Córdoba, the vehicle with thea 160E21 configuration received the first homologation in Argentina for its commercialization and manufacture in July 2020.
The renewed CNG Tector in its rigid version and short cab 4×2 configuration is powered by an FPT Industrial NEF 6 engine, with OTTO cycle of 210 HP and 750 Nm of torque. It has six CNG tanks, each with a capacity of 80 liters, which give it an approximate range of between 300 and 400 kilometers (depending on the refueling and driving mode), offering power and low level of gaseous and sound emissions, ideal for urban tasks and night missions.Pablo Princich, IVECO Commercial and Marketing Manager, stated that the vehicles of the ‘Natural Power’ range were designed to run on CNG and that their engine has the same useful life, operating elasticity and performance as a diesel unit. Plus, it adds a quieter, more cost-effective, and environmentally friendly operation.
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UK: Food supply giant places UK’s largest single order of IVECO LNG trucks
As concerns grow over the vehicular impact on the environment, Northern Ireland’s largest private sector business and one of the UK’s top food suppliers, Moy Park, has turned to IVECO Stralis NP 460 trucks to help decarbonize its logistics operation.
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Supplied by South West Truck & Van in Avonmouth, the new 50 LNG-fueled vehicles represent IVECO UK’s largest single order of natural gas trucks. They will operate on 100% bio-LNG sourced through anaerobic digestion, with Roadgas commissioning an on-site refueling station and CO2 reduction programs as part of our overall Net Zero Carbon strategy.”
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LNG as a Marine Fuel/Shipping
South Korea’s first LNG-powered tugboat makes call at Incheon Port
South Korea’s first liquid natural gas (LNG)-powered eco-friendly tugboat has made its first call at the port of Incheon. The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) said that the LNG-powered 310-ton tugboat Songdo had started operations at the port of Incheon, west of Seoul.
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The tugboat was developed as part of a project financed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to replace old tugboats with diesel engines that emit a huge amount of pollutants with eco-friendly models. The LNG-powered tugboat will assist with berthing or departure operations of large gas carriers entering or departing from the Incheon LNG terminal.
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/s-koreas-first-lng-powered-tugboat-makes-call-at-incheon-port/
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US: LNG-Powered Containerships Slated For US West Cost
Clean Energy Fuels said on September 21 it had committed to supplying two containerships powered by super-cooled liquid natural gas that will be among the first calling on the US West Coast. Clean Energy will supply World
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Fuel Services with around 78mn gallons of LNG for two containerships that will operate from the Port of Long Beach in California. These will be among the first LNG-powered vessels to call on the US West Coast and “and the first to service Hawaii.”
Vessel operators are turning to LNG and other, cleaner fuels to comply with mandates from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on emissions. The two MV class vessels could be in service as early as the fourth quarter. The LNG will come from Clean Energy’s liquefaction facility in Boron, California, where it is in the process of adding a new train that will boost production by about 50%.
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/lng-powered-containerships-slated-for-us-west-coast-92267
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Japan: Mitsui signs LNG carrier charter deal with NOVATEK
Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) has signed charter contracts with Russian gas producer NOVATEK for four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. Due for delivery in 2024, the carriers will be constructed at Daewoo
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Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and are to be equipped with MAN Energy Solutions fuel efficient engines. To meet its ‘MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1’, MOL will utilise a more environmentally friendly design which reduces boil-off gas and a shaft generator system that generates power via a rotating propeller shaft.
https://www.gasworld.com/mol-signs-lng-carrier-charter-deal-with-novatek/2021720.article
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South Korea: Daewoo Shipbuilding wins order for four LNGCS
South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has won an order for four LNG carriers from an unnamed Asian shipowner, it said on September 14.
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These vessels will be built at the Okpo Shipyard and delivered in the second half of 2024.This year DSME received orders for 46 vessels, including 16 container ships, 11 super-large crude oil carriers, nine super-large LPG carriers, six LNG carriers, one wind turbine installation vessel, one submarine, and two offshore plants.
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/daewoo-shipbuilding-wins-order-for-four-lngcs-92141
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US: JAX LNG & TOTE complete first bio-LNG bunkering operation
JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, recently completed the first bunkering of a marine vessel in the United States with a blend of LNG and bio-LNG. JAX
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LNG loaded the blend into the Clean Jacksonville bunker barge to fuel the Isla Bella, world’s first LNG-powered container ship put into service by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in 2015.
Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas used to produce the bio-LNG via renewable thermal certificates (RTCs). Using bio-LNG to fuel marine vessels is a readily available pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. Its emissions profile as a maritime fuel is superior even to that of LNG, which already reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% over ultra-low sulfur diesel. For this bunkering event, RTCs were matched to the physical LNG loaded into the Clean Jacksonville to create the blended product. JAX LNG is the long-term supplier to the two LNG-fueled container vessels—the Isla Bella and the Perla del Caribe—that TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico utilizes to reliably transport goods between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.
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Japan: “K” Line orders eight LNG-fuelled car carriers, deliveries scheduled from FY 2023
Japanese transportation company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) said it has ordered eight 7,000 units class car carriers fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) by FY2023 to FY2025, following its first LNG-fuelled vessel, “CENTURY HIGHWAY GREEN” which was delivered on March 12, 2021.
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“K” Line has made an agreement to order the new next-generation car carriers from Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd, Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co.Ltd., and China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (NANJING) Co.,Ltd., two vessels in each of three shipyards.“K” Line is planning to substitute LNG fuel and other new fuels over conventional heavy fuel oil to achieve the targets set within its “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050 programme.
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Europe: EU and OPEC Cite LNG as Critical Marine Fuel
While the debate continues about the environmental performance of LNG as a marine fuel and its longer-term prospects, commissioners from the European Union publicly stated that they recognize the importance of LNG
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in helping the shipping industry achieve Europe’s goals for decarbonization. The acknowledgment came as other lawmakers in the European Parliament have been pushing for the removal of fossil gasses from the sanctioned sources of energy.
Speaking at a private conference on green innovations, Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, director for energy-intensive industries and mobility with the European Commission’s DG GROW, recognized that LNG is a necessary energy source as the maritime industry seeks to transition from traditional fuels to new low or zero-carbon sources of energy. The commissioner told listeners that supply issues and the need to develop further technologies make an immediate switch away from traditional fuel sources unrealistic. Industry groups, including SEA-LNG, were quick to respond to the World Bank saying the organization was misinformed and wrong to advice against LNG. They cited advancements in the technologies and like the EU director highlighted the critical near-term role LNG was playing in transitioning the maritime industry from conventional fuels.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/eu-and-opec-cite-lng-as-critical-marine-fuel
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Technological Development for Cleaner and Greener Environment Hydrogen & Bio-Methane
Italy: Biomethane-run tractor, one of the stars at the grape harvest festival
FPT Industrial was one of the stars at the Renaissance Grape Harvest Festival, held on September 10 & 11 in the splendid setting of the Fontanafredda estate (the historic winery founded by the first King of Italy in 1858) at Serralungad’Alba (Cuneo, Italy).
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To add a special significance to an event already rich in appeal and atmosphere in its own right, this was the first zero-emissions Barolo harvest. The grapes of the Vigna La Rosa cru, which yield a Barolo included in the Wine Spectator Top 100, were harvested with the aid of the first prototype New Holland TK Methane Power crawler vineyard tractor with biomethane-powered FPT Industrial F28 natural gas engine. Everyone attending the festival could enjoy a close-hand view of both the tractor and the engine.
Recently named “Engine of the Year 2020” thanks to its modular, multi-propulsion approach, the FPT Industrial F28 engine, already at work at the Fontanafredda estate in its biomethane configuration, has a carbon footprint of zero, since the biomethane that powers the engine is not a fossil fuel, but is produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste. Launched in February 2021, the partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda forms part of the Green Renaissance project, launched to promote best-practice grape cultivation with no environmental impact. The three-year partnership between is supported by the Piedmont Region’s Tobias Project with contributions from New Holland Agriculture, CNH Industrial and local businesses.
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Europe: Central European operators plan hydrogen corridor
Four central European gas transmission system operators (TSOs) have joined forces to form the Central European Hydrogen Corridor (CECH), Slovak TSO Eustream said September 23.As gas transit from Russia dries up – long term capacity
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contracts between Eustream and Ukraine’s GTSOU with Gazprom expire later this decade – the TSOs are keen to develop revenue from other business.
Ukraine is positioning itself as a future major green hydrogen supplier. CECH will also enable the transport of hydrogen from production to consumption in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/central-european-operators-plan-hydrogen-corridor-92339
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Brazil: Adecoagro & Galileo embark on biomethane for vehicles project
Starting this month, Adecoagro, one of the main food and renewable energy producers in South America, replaces fossil fuels with bio-CNG in 13 fleet vehicles in its sugar processing facility in Ivinhema (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil): seven light-duty, three commercial vehicles and three trucks.
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This renewable fuel derives from the biogas released from vinasse, a byproduct of the ethanol production of the company’s sugar activity.
This innovation results from its partnership with Galileo Technologies, a company that operates in 70 countries, “According to the United Nations, food production generates 40% of methane emissions in the planet with a potential effect over global warming 28 to 36 times greater than carbon dioxide. This means we can cease to use fossil fuels, which represent 35% of methane emissions, but still, if we do not consider farm activities -as well as organic waste emissions, which contribute to 20%- we will keep a great heat retention agent. Our goal with this project is to eliminate this type of emissions from the environment to offer carbon-negative energy”, highlighted Osvaldo del Campo, Galileo Technologies CEO.
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UK: New Collab to Develop “Next-generation” Hydrogen Fuel Project
A new collaboration is seeking to change how Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) fill up through a new hydrogen fuel project. Midlands-based SME Hy-Met Limited will work with Logan Energy, and the WMG department at the University of
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Warwick to deliver the Hydrogen Prototype Equipment for Refuelling (HyPER) project. The consortium will develop a “next-generation” hydrogen flowmeter that will be used for refuelling systems. It will be lightweight, smaller, more cost effective and more accurate than current instruments.
The collaboration aims to reduce the cost of hydrogen refuelling and enable the wider adoption of hydrogen by transport fleets and other users.The firm has already been part of major hydrogen projects in Scotland, opening the country’s first hydrogen refuelling station in the central belt. The station is the only point at which hydrogen-electric vehicles can fill up between Aberdeen and Sheffield.
https://digit.fyi/collaboration-hydrogen-fuel-project/
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Australian government provides support for Japanese backed green hydrogen export project
The Australian Renewables Energy Agency (Arena) confirmed it was providing up to A$2.17 million (US$1.59 million) in funding to Queensland government-owned Stanwell Corporation to carry out the estimated A$10.4 million study. The study is also being delivered in partnership
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with Japan’s largest hydrogen supplier Iwatani, with additional support from Japanese players Kansai Electric Power Corporation, Marubeni Corporation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, as well as Australia’s APA Group.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will also provide funding support for the study. The study will investigate the development of a hydrogen production facility capable of producing up to 36,500 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen, with exports to Japan anticipated in 2026, with Stanwell proposing to ship the hydrogen in liquid form utilising liquid hydrogen shipping vessels. Stanwell and Iwatani also have a long-term goal to to scale up the facility to 328,500 tpa in 2031 to meet anticipated increased demand for clean hydrogen from Japan.
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