Poseidon Med II project for LNG as marine fuel discussed in Nicosia

The achievements and milestones of Poseidon Med II (PMII), an EU co-funded  roadmap aiming to bring about the wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and also help East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low-carbon future, was the focus of a recent event at the University of Nicosia.

Participants represented the academic community, students, PMII partners, as well as the EU co- funded project CYnergy.

The event was officially opened by Dr. Theodoros Tsakiris, Director of Energy Studies, School of Business, University of Nicosia, who noted that marine transportation could in fact move to a much cleaner fuel such as LNG.

Maria Fotiadou, Corporate Development Activities Division Head at DEPA, Greece’s gas utility, placed an emphasis on the safety aspects of LNG.

Stefanos Chonianakis, Associate Corporate Development Activities Division of DEPA, delivered a first presentation on what constitutes a holistic LNG supply chain and how this will be brought to life in the area of Eastern Mediterranean through the project’s activities.

Joseph Florentin, PMII Project Manager & Business Development Department Manager of Greek gas grid operator DESFA (Technical Coordinator of PMII), presented a model of the infrastructure at the Revithoussa LNG terminal just off Athens and the conditions required for an efficient LNG bunkering scheme.

The event’s first session was concluded by Antonis Boutatis, Managing Director at Rogan Associates, who addressed the value of investing in LNG infrastructure as well as the work in progress at various participating ports.

The event’s second session was moderated by Dr. Constantinos Hadjistassou, School of Engineering, UNIC who gave the audience an overview of the LNG market developments.

Emphasis on Clean and Green Shipping, especially innovative vessel design and barges, was provided given by Ioannis Bakas, Technical Manager of HELENGI, a company offering LNG engineering solutions. Bakas noted that LNG bunker vessel designs are mature enough to materialize and that the retrofit of LNG designs of existing tonnage are already available and ready for the procurement process.

Anastasia Kouvertari, Project Manager for the EU co-funded project CYnergy on behalf of Hellenic Lloyd’s, offered details on LNG Bunkering regulations in Greece and specifically presented the regulatory status quo, namely the Presidential Decree for LNG Bunkering. Issues like Safety Zones, fire-fighting, training & competence and port and vessel manuals dealing with LNG Bunkering were placed high on the agenda.

The event was concluded with a Q&A session, which triggered a lively discussion, especially on commercial aspects entailing LNG pricing and issues concerning the  training of personnel involved in the LNG bunkering supply chain and active involvement of ministries and authorities.

The Poseidon Med II project involves three countries, Greece, Italy and Cyprus, six European ports, Piraeus, Patras, Lemesos, Venice, Heraklion and Igoumenitsa, as well as the Revithoussa LNG terminal. It has brought together top experts from the marine, energy and financial sectors to design an integrated LNG value chain and establish a well-functioning and sustainable LNG market.