1,020 tons of LNG supplied to car carrier as port expands eco-friendly fuel supply
The Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (YGPA) announced Monday that it had successfully completed a liquefied natural gas bunkering operation on the CMA CGM MONACO, an approximately 70,000-ton car carrier, at the vehicle terminal of Yeosu Gwangyang Port.
The operation, carried out June 5 through June 6, used South Korea's dedicated LNG bunkering vessel Blue Whale to simultaneously conduct car unloading and LNG fuel supply while the ship was berthed.
About 1,020 tons of LNG were supplied to the CMA CGM MONACO. Running the unloading and refueling operations at the same time reduced the vessel's berth time and improved operational efficiency.
LNG is an eco-friendly fuel that significantly cuts sulfur oxide and fine particulate emissions compared with conventional marine fuel oil, and has become a leading alternative fuel as the International Maritime Organization tightens environmental regulations.
Global shipping markets have been accelerating the adoption of LNG-powered vessels in pursuit of carbon neutrality and a greener transition, raising the strategic importance of ports equipped with stable LNG supply infrastructure.
YGPA said it plans to actively support the arrival of eco-friendly vessels from global shipping lines through bunkering incentives and regulatory improvements, and will develop the port into an energy supply chain hub by expanding its LNG terminal.
"This LNG bunkering is the second this year, following one in March, and demonstrates Yeosu Gwangyang Port's capacity for eco-friendly fuel supply and operational efficiency at the same time," YGPA President Choe Gwan-ho said.
parkds@heraldcorp.com
