France to Boost LNG Usage in Shipping
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
France will modify regulations on the natural gas to allow liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering to take place at ports, Reuters reported quoting Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
He said the country will consider changing fiscal rules on amortising investments in new ships or engine technology.
“We have to use this (energy) transition to differentiate ourselves on the market - in transport and in port services,” he said. “We want French ports to be equipped (...) with LNG installations and also the capacity to electrically charge ships.”
The report said that LNG has been promoted as an alternative to fuel oil for a shipping sector facing tougher emissions standards from 2020, and French-based container shipping giant CMA CGM said this month it would be the first to use LNG to power giant container ships.
CMA CGM has pointed to the supply chain as a key challenge for LNG fuel and said it was in discussions with partners including ports on how to adapt infrastructure.
LNG is a relatively minor ship fuel, but with companies facing high costs to adapt traditional bunker fuel to upcoming emissions standards, it has attracted more attention.