The Norwegian Port of Drammen could soon see its first liquefied biogas fuelling after recently completing its inaugural LNG bunkering.
The truck-to-ship operation saw United European Car Carriers’ (UECC) LNG battery hybrid pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Auto Energy, fuelled by Finnish state-owned energy company Gasum in late March.
Speaking to Bunkerspot during a press event for this year’s Nor-Shipping, Ivar A. Vannebo, Assistant Port Director of the Port of Drammen, said the fuelling was a rare bunkering for the Norwegian port which is one of the country’s main hubs for PCTC traffic.
‘Normally we don’t very often bunker the ships here in Drammen because we don’t have any bunker facilities in the port. [Fuel] has to be brought in by barges or by lorries.’
UECC’s Energy and Sustainability Manager, Daniel Gent, confirmed to Bunkerspot that the fuelling, which saw up to 70 tonnes of LNG loaded on the vessel, was part of a broader investigation by the company into the feasibility of bunkering in other ports as well as securing liquefied biogas molecules.
And according to Vannebo, there is a willingness from all parties for the provision of such fuel.
‘Gasum…have also been here several times because they are very interested in to also provide biogas in the ports. We have been discussing with them the possibilities to build a biogas station for trucks in this region, in the port area.’
Speaking to Bunkerspot, Jacob Granqvist, Vice President, Maritime, Gasum, confirmed that the company was exploring the possibility of biogas bunkering in Drammen and highlighted the strategic location of its LNG terminal at the Øra industrial site near Fredrikstad.
‘This is really about utilising the infrastructure that we have in order to make competitive offerings towards the customers and biogas is one of those things,’ said Granqvist.
‘We are taking biogas into the terminal in Øra already. It would be an easy task for us to actually take trucks to Drammen with LNG. We could also take trucks to Drammen with biogas,’ Granqvist added.
