Nordic energy company Gasum Oy has disclosed that its fleet of gas-powered bunkering and carrier vessels has been operating for some time now, entirely on liquefied biomethane (bioLNG). With this move, Gasum’s vessels have already generated a generous amount of compliance for the company’s FuelEU Maritime pool.
Gasum’s fleet comprises two LNG bunkering vessels that deliver LNG and bioLNG to ships at ports, as well as two LNG carrier vessels that transport liquefied natural gas across the Nordic countries and Northern Europe.
Each vessel is equipped with a dual-fuel gas engine, enabling the use of renewable bioLNG as fuel.
By powering its own chartered vessels with bioLNG, Gasum provides flexibility to the pool’s balance as the year is nearing its end and more regulatory surplus is demanded.
As we are now in the last quarter of the first FuelEU Maritime regulation year, there’s never been a more critical moment for ship owners to act. Joining Gasum’s FuelEU Maritime pool is the easiest and most reliable way to secure compliance. Adding our own fleet to the pool as compliance generators helps to secure more compliance surplus, but the amount is still limited, said Jacob Granqvist, VP, Maritime, Gasum.
Use of bioLNG generates a compliance surplus
The FuelEU Maritime regulation aims to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of fuels used in shipping by gradually increasing requirements for renewable low-carbon fuels.
To help the industry adapt, FuelEU Maritime allows the formation of compliance pools.
Pooling groups together vessels whose collective emissions can be balanced to meet regulatory targets more flexibly and efficiently.
Gasum’s gas carrier vessels are chartered from Anthony Veder, who is also an offtaker in Gasum’s FuelEU Maritime pool.
One of Gasum’s bunker vessels, Anthony Veder, is jointly owned by Anthony Veder and Sirius Shipping. Gasum’s other bunker vessel, Kairos, is owned by Bernhard Schulte.
In addition to Gasum’s own vessels, the pool includes other partners that can generate compliance surplus with dual-fuel ships.
By using bioLNG across several gas-powered vessels, Gasum generates surplus emission reductions that can then be allocated to other vessels in the pool.
Using bioLNG is an effective way to generate a regulatory compliance surplus, as life-cycle emissions are, on average, 90 percent lower than those of conventional fossil maritime fuels, such as MGO. When produced using manure, the emissions of bioLNG can even be negative.
Gasum’s strategic goal is to significantly increase the availability of bioLNG to the North-Western European maritime market in the coming years.
