Uncharted waters: LNG as a marine fuel in Australasia
Rob Duncanson A C and Walter P. Purio BA Woodside Energy Ltd, GPO Box D188, Perth, WA 6840, Australia.
B 151/172 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6166, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: rob.duncanson@woodside.com.au
The APPEA Journal 57(2) 434-436 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ16083
Accepted: 28 March 2017 Published: 29 May 2017
Abstract
This paper explores the emerging market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, with a particular focus on the market in Australasia. While LNG as a marine fuel is a growing market in the northern hemisphere, slower rates of adoption of LNG fuel technologies in maritime industry are evident in the southern hemisphere. This paper aims to ground the Australasian LNG marine fuel market in a global context and to explore opportunities for Australia to lead the region in developing and adopting LNG as a marine fuel. This paper looks at the key drivers behind championing LNG as a marine fuel, focusing on four main areas of impact; economy, environment, public health and innovation. This paper uses Australia as a case study for the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel in the southern hemisphere. It considers the opportunities presented by LNG as a marine fuel to assist Australia in: achieving energy independence; reducing the impact of air pollution from ships on the environment and public health; and positioning Australia as an innovative leader in LNG as a marine fuel.
Keywords: Australia, emissions control, engine conversion, global transport, greenhouse gas, IMO, maritime, MARPOL, NOx, shipping, SOx.
Rob Duncanson is Marine Manager at Woodside, championing from concept through to completion (early 2017) the first LNG fuelled support ship into Australia. This project has set the pace for change in the marine industry in the southern hemisphere. His vision is to transition the Australian marine industry over to LNG as a fuel in the near future, reducing the reliance of the marine industry on the bunker fuel thus ensuring a cleaner, greener marine industry with a reduction in the overall environmental footprint. He has a passion for developing innovation in LNG and a track record of delivering outcomes through advocacy, leadership and managing stakeholders to ensure tangible, cost effective and profit bearing outcomes. He has conducted a large amount of research in bringing this technology to Australia and presented to OTC, MIAL and the Nautical Institute on this topic. You can find published papers on his previous work on unmanned facilities in the ‘Published Papers’ section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. |
Walter P. Purio is the managing director of P and H Marine Australasia Pty Ltd and currently assists oil and gas companies in Australia to develop their strategies to provide LNG as a marine fuel to the Australasian region. He serves as a non-executive director to Pelican Clean Energy Pty Ltd which provides marine expertise, insight and advice to government, resource and oil and gas companies as they explore the potential to develop an LNG as a marine fuel industry in the southern hemisphere. Captain Purio is a seasoned maritime industry executive who has worked across several marine disciplines including commercial shipping, marine finance, marine compliance, naval operations, offshoring, mining and support to the oil and gas industry. He holds a BS degree from the USA Merchant Marine Academy and MBA’s from the University of Chicago and the Katholieke Universitat Leuven, Belgium. |
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