Technical visits enhance Gas Fuelled Ships conference appeal

摘要

As well as two days of presentations, including round table discussions, the package enjoyed by some 140 delegates included the conference dinner, supported by GE Marine, and three technical visits - two including the chance to go on board actual gas-fuelled ships - at the end of the event. The final visit, to a dual-fuel offshore supply ship, was arranged as a very worthwhile last-minute bonus. First day chairman Lars Robert Pedersen, deputy secretary general of BIMCO, gave the welcome address, summarising the last GFS conference. Anders Mikkelsen, business development leader DNV GL, gave the first keynote speech. He explored the 'big questions' of pricing, availability, the risks and opportunities of new low sulphur fuels and the uncertainty of what will happen after the low sulphur limits come in. Despite this, there is a lot of optimism in the industry. The small scale LNG value chain is critical, and users and potential users need to understand how this will work. Globally, infrastructure clusters are fast developing to support bunker supplies. 52 LNG fuelled ships are in operation worldwide. Previously almost entirely Norwegian, the fleet is getting more international. There are 78 confirmed orders, with greater variety of ship types and more outside Europe. So with 130 confirmed ships, excluding gas carriers and inland vessels, we will reach 2020 with strong momentum for the gas fuelled ship orderbook.