FMC’s Cordero sees LNG as ship fuel

   Liquefied natural gas “continues to make progress as a credible fuel alternative” for international transport carriers, Federal Maritime Commissioner Mario Cordero told a conference in Houston last week.
   Speaking at the World LNG Fuels Conference, Cordero referenced an annoucement from the classification society Det Norke Veritas last month that it had approved in principle a design by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of a 9,000-TEU containership fueled by LNG.
   In August, the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute received a five-year cooperative agreement with the Maritime Administration to address environmental issues that face shipping and marine transportation.
   Cordero noted LNG is being used to power drayage trucks at the Port of Long Beach where he was a commissioner before joining the FMC.
   The international ocean shipping industry accounts for about 3 percent of global greenhouse emissions, sufficient “if it were a country, to ranking 7th in world emissions,” he said. “From a policy perspective, I believe the industry leaders are sensitive to their commitment to addressing carbon emissions. This mindset has been accelerated by the belief of many that oil will be an increasingly a scarce commodity, or at the very least, an expensive commodity.
   “Clearly, everyone in the industry would agree that there is a continued high cost of diesel fuel including the lowest grade used by the international carriers – bunker fuel,” Cordero added. “It should be noted that 90 percent of global trade is carried by sea thus furthering a policy for the use of LNG fuel by international carriers is not only paramount in reducing the carbon footprint by the industry, but clearly would have a global impact that requires present day commitment by the various stakeholders.” — Chris Dupin