Spain's Energy Firms Look to Central Europe Markets for Green Hydrogen Deals
Spanish oil company Cepsa signed on Wednesday two agreements aimed at shipping green hydrogen between Spain and the Netherlands, a day after renewable energy giant Iberdrola took a similar step.The two Spanish companies are vying to become green hydrogen leaders, with planned investments worth billions of euros. The recent agreements will help them sell part of their expected production of green hydrogen and derivatives to industrial customers eager to decarbonize in Europe's economic powerhouse…
LNG: France Gets Its First LNG Bunker Vessel, Gas Vitality
The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been named Gas Vitality at a ceremony held today at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China.The 18,600-m³ newbuild bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. All three parties first collaborated in 2018 to successfully design and build her sistership, the Gas Agility…
Activists Blockade Shell Refinery in Port of Rotterdam
Dozens of Greenpeace activists in Rotterdam port used a ship, buoys and a small flotilla of kayaks on Monday to block traffic around Shell’s Pernis refinery, Europe’s largest, as part of a campaign seeking a ban on fossil fuel advertising.Police ended the blockade after several hours and the port’s authority said economic disruption to the wider harbor was minimal.The action comes as Greenpeace and more than 20 other environmental groups began seeking a million signatures for a European Union-wide ban on adverts and sponsorships by oil and gas companies…
World's First Barge-to-Ship Methanol Bunkering Carried out in Rotterdam
On May 10, 2021, the methanol-dual fueled chemical tanker Takaroa Sun, owned by NYK Bulkship (Asia) Pte. Ltd. participated in what is touted as the world’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of methanol fuel. The bunkering of methanol fuel was conducted in Rotterdam port under the leadership of the charterer Waterfront Shipping Company Limited, together with the cooperation of the Port of Rotterdam, Royal Vopak N.V., and TankMatch B.V.Methanol fuel produces up to 15% less carbon emissions during combustion than conventional fuel oil and reduces sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by approximately 99%.
Yamal LNG Resumes Loading Operations in Norway
Yamal LNG, controlled by Russia's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek, is resuming ship-to-ship transfers in Norway, Novatek said on Monday, after plans to shift the operations to Russia fell through due to coronavirus.Novatek suspended transfers in Norway in June last year due to what it termed "pressure from the West".According to Refinitiv Eikon data, the Arc7 tanker Vladimir Vize is due to arrive at the Norwegian Arctic port of Honningsvag on April 1, carrying a cargo from Yamal LNG.The data also showed that an empty Arc4 tanker…
North Sea Aims 60GW Offshore Wind by 2050
The wind turbines on the North Sea can now deliver one Gigawatt in Netherlands. 60 Gigawatts should be achievable in 2050, the target for Europe being 450 Gigawatts.This is according to Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA).Hans Timmers, chairman of the NWEA thinks that the Netherlands is facing a huge challenge. A recent report shows that when it comes to generating sustainable energy, the Netherlands is the worst performer of all European countries."In the Netherlands we now have 1 Gigawatt at sea, which should increase to 60 Gigawatt in 2050.
Rotterdam Port Explores Option of Geothermal
Research into the geothermal port of Rotterdam is entering the next phase, according to the Port of Rotterdam Authority.Shell Geothermal BV and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are jointly investigating the options for geothermal energy in the western part of the port of Rotterdam. The two companies have received an exploration permit from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.The subsurface has been mapped out thoroughly in recent years as part of the Ultra-Deep Geothermal Energy (UDG) green deal.
Largest Wind Turbine Tested on Maasvlakte
The world’s largest wind turbine, Haliade-X, is being tested on Maasvlakte at Port of Rotterdam. This ‘test rig’ was realised via innovative cross-pollination between the American GE Renewable Energy, Sif Netherlands and Pondera Consult.Huge 107-meter-long blades have recently started rotating on Maasvlakte. These are part of the Haliade-X12 MW, the world’s most powerful wind turbine.It is 260 meters high and has a 12-megawatt capacity, sufficient to generate energy to supply electricity to some 16,000 households in the region.
GE's Haliade-X Produces First Power
GE Renewable Energy has generated first power from its 12MW Haliade-X prototype - the world's largest and most powerful wind turbine - located at Maasvlakte, the Port of Rotterdam.According to GE, local teams will now proceed with the testing phase, during which different types of measurements will be performed to obtain a Type Certificate for the Haliade-X in 2020.John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said “This first kWh is a critical achievement for our whole team, bringing to fruition our vision and all the hard work put in place.
B.C. Backs LNG Bunkering
The British Columbia Government has joined Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and FortisBC to establish the first ship-to-ship LNG marine refueling – or bunkering – facility on the west coast of North America.The use of LNG to power the world’s ocean-going vessels is forecast to expand and B.C. is well positioned to benefit from this growth.According to industry standards, replacing diesel fuel with LNG has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 20%. Because FortisBC’s Tilbury facility runs on clean B.C.
Coralius Completes 1st Bunkering in Rotterdam
Finnish integrated gas company Gasum said that its liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel, Coralius, made its first bunkering in the port and refining area of Rotterdam, supplying LNG to Bit Viking."A milestone of her ship-to-ship bunkering history is reached when proving her availability in the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp area)," said a press release from the Espoo-headquartered energy company.“It’s time to celebrate,” says Kimmo Rahkamo, Vice President, natural gas and LNG, Gasum.
Rhenus Commences Borssele Alpha Supply
Rhenus Offshore Logistics has completed its first supply trip to the 700MW Borssele Alpha offshore platform in the Dutch North Sea.Rhenus has taken over the complete supply logistics for its customer, HSM Offshore, during the installation work on the Borssele project and is supplying the Borssele Alpha offshore platform with building materials and tools as well as water, food and articles in daily use.Rhenus is providing all the logistics services that are required for the project, including the supply trips, handling at the port, customs clearance and waste disposal.
SEA\LNG Welcomes Vancouver Fraser Port
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has joined SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. Vancouver Fraser Port is the first North America port member to join the industry group.The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, and the fourth port member to join the coalition, alongside Port of Rotterdam, Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corporation (YKIP), and most recently the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Shell Joins W2C Rotterdam
The British-Dutch oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known as Shell, joins as equity partner with Air Liquide, Enerkem, Nouryon and the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe.The proposed project in Rotterdam will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and bio-fuels out of non-recyclable waste materials, said a press release from the Netherlands-based seaport.A consortium of world-leading companies comprising Air Liquide, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals)…
Pronto Reduces Bunker Delays
The number of Maersk vessels experiencing delay at APM Terminals at Maasvlakte II as a consequence of bunker activities reduced significantly during a Pronto pilot.The involved parties explain how real-time insight into each other’s scheduling helps prevent bottlenecks.The online communication platform Pronto enables optimisation of port calls in the Port of Rotterdam by visualising the scheduling of all involved parties real-time in one environment.Countless activities take place within the tight windows for loading and unloading of container ships at the terminals…
LNG Bunkering Takes Off in Rotterdam
The throughput of LNG - liquefied natural gas - as bunker fuel in the Rotterdam bunker port increased considerably from 1,500 to 9,500 tonnes in 2018.Meanwhile, the sale of bunker oil - fuel for shipping - in the bunker port decreased from 9.9 million m3 to 9.5 million m3. The decrease can almost entirely be ascribed to the decline in sales of heavy fuel oil from 8.3 million m3 to 7.9 million m3.The Port of Rotterdam Authority suspects that the decline in bunker volumes in Europe’s largest bunker port is a consequence of the increased scale and use of modern vessels in container shipping.
Slufterdam Doubles Wind Power
Eneco and Vattenfall have completed repowering of the Slufterdam wind farm in the Netherlands, boosting output to 50MW from around 25MW.The 17 existing wind turbines in the farm, which has been supplying renewable energy since 2002, have been replaced by 14 wind turbines that are much more efficient. As a result, the power has nearly doubled from 25.5 MW to 50.4 MW. The 14 wind turbines generate 180 GWh of electricity every year, enough to cover the annual consumption of around 60,000 households.The energy companies started preparations to replace the wind turbines in mid-2017.
Porthos CCUS Project Getting Ready
Port of Rotterdam Authority, Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company Gasunie and Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) are preparing a CCUS (Carbon Capture Usage and Storage) project, in which CO₂ from industry will be transported to storage sites in depleted gas fields deep beneath the North Sea seabed.The three companies are working together on the preparation of this project under the name Porthos: Port of Rotterdam CO₂ Transport Hub & Offshore Storage.The Porthos project…
GE to Test 12MW Turbine in Netherlands
Rotterdam's skyline will soon feature what is claimed as the world's largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine.GE Renewable Energy and Future Wind announced today that they have signed an agreement to install the first Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbine prototype in Maasvlakte-Rotterdam (NL) during summer 2019.The deal includes five years of testing and a 15-year full service Operation and Maintenance agreement, said the JV between between Pondera Development and SIF Holding Netherlands.This Haliade-X 12 MW prototype will be installed onshore to facilitate access for testing.
LNG REPORT: LNG Bunkering Vessels Rise to Nine, 30 More to Come
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure is expanding globally and there are increasing numbers of LNG-bunker vessels which are encouraging other operators to adopt LNG.According to SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, from limited availability at select ports, LNG bunkering has grown to encompass 24 out of the world’s top 25 and all but one of the top ten bunker ports…
