Poseidon Med II

Patra: Last port of call for Poseidon Med II

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Patras Port Authority had the honour of organising the last dissemination event of Poseidon Med II, just one week prior to its conclusion. The satellite port to the EU co-funded programme, gathered key stakeholders and interested parties to informed them about milestones of the Action and raise their final feedback with main Activity owners from Lloyd’s Register and Rogan Associates, who are also partners of Poseidon Med II.

Presentations focused on the basic features of LNG, the Presidential Decree on safe LNG Bunkering, the training competencies, port manuals and the port’s masterplan to accommodate LNG as a marine fuel.

Mr Panagiotis Tsonis, CEO of Patras Port Authority, gave a warm welcome at the virtual event by thanking all partners for the deliverables and studies performed that will offer the opportunity to the port of Patras to become part of the new green supply chain in the maritime transportation sector.

Mr Stavros Antypas, Director of Development and Project Manager on behalf of the Patras Port Authority commented that despite the obstacles that came along with the studies and the associated local consultation, he is proud to see that the Action is concluded leaving behind a complete and rigid file of approved studies and data that will enable the Port to engage in efficient and sustainable operations in the near future. He moved on by adding that the Authority will pursue funding opportunities inside and outside the Greek territory in order to proceed with the necessary infrastructure works.

After demonstrating the actual position for the LNG bunkering operations inside the port and explaining how it was chosen as the optimum solution, participants discussed on the scenario of coexistence of pipelines and bunker vessels for the supply of LNG. Ms Anna Apostolopoulou, EU Projects Leader & Offshore Manager for Greece, Cyprus & Israel, who served as Project Manager of the Action on behalf of Lloyd’s Register, clarified that bunkering will not ‘disturb’ any of the other simultaneous operations taking place inside the port. Practically what this means is that any incoming vessel will berth at the intended position and the LNG feeder vessel shall proceed with the bunkering in parallel to any loading/ offloading operations taking place.

The virtual meeting was concluded with a sense of satisfaction on the achievements of Poseidon Med II and an anticipation for all partners to collectively work together again on a similar innovative project.

Τhe sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Photo captions

  1. Slide depicting the contents of the Port procedures manual for LNG bunkering
  2. Snapshot from the Virtual Dissemination event

Poseidon Med II project is a practical roadmap which aims to bring about the wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and help the East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low-carbon future. The project, which is co-funded by the European Union, involves three countries Greece, Italy and Cyprus, six European ports (Piraeus, Patras, Lemesos, Venice, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa) as well as the Revithoussa LNG terminal. The project brings 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.

Poseidon Med II lays foundations for sustainable supply chain in Eastern Mediterranean

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The Poseidon Med II Stakeholders’ Conference 2021 “Poseidon Med II brings into reality sustainable shipping to the Eastern Mediterranean” was successfully organized as a virtual event on Thursday, December 9, 2021. The Conference marked the official closing of the EU co-funded Poseidon Med II Action, which started in June 2015 and will end in December 2021.

Mr Konstantinos Skrekas, Minister for the Environment and Energy of Greece, opened the Conference and  noted the importance of LNG as a transition fuel for the green transformation of the shipping industry; Mr Ioannis Efstratiou, Director, Safety & Environmental Protection Directorate, representing the Cypriot Deputy Minister for Shipping, Mr V. Demetriades, stressed that a major advantages of adopting LNG as a marine fuel is its abundant availability which makes it a sound option for the transition towards Europe’s net zero future. Mr Giannis Papadopoulos, Chairman of the BoD, DEPA Commercial S.A., highlighted that LNG is indeed an intelligent, flexible and viable business solution with which the shipping industry can address the challenge to decarbonize He then made reference to the development of Greece’s first LNG bunkering vessel by DEPA COMMERCIAL with a capacity of of 4,000 m3 that will be used to supply ships in the port of Piraeus as well as in other ports in Greece and at the Region. For Mr J. Chomatas, Asset Development Division Director, DESFA SA – Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator, the new SSLNG facilities that will be accommodating bunker and feeder vessels is due to the contribution of PM II marking an important achievement. . Concluding the opening statements, Mr. Siamak Jalali, from the office of the EU’s Coordinator for the “Motorways of the Sea” noted that the goal for 2050 is to make Europe a modern resource efficient and competitive economy with the maritime being a crucial sector as 80% of the goods are transported by sea.

On behalf of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), Mrs Katerina Chrysostomou, PMEDII Project Officer, congratulated all the PMII Partners for completing the foreseen actions and for contributing to the realization of LNG bunkering operations in Greece, Cyprus and Italy.

Mr George Polychroniou, Poseidon Med II Project Manager, Executive Director, Strategy and Business Development, DEPA Commercial S.A. noted the importance of PMII for the decarbonization of the maritime sector and its particular significance for the region and Greece.

During the first session of the Conference entitled “Mapping the Achievements of Poseidon Med II” the results of the Action were presented by various partners, notably: Mrs Efstathia Niarchou, Project Manager of Poseidon Med II Action, DESFA, Dr. Christos Solomonidis, Partner, Chairman of the BoD, Rogan Associates S.A., Mrs Anna Apostolopoulou, Offshore Manager Gr/Cy/Isr, EU Projects Leader SEUR/Lloyd’s Register, Dr. Davide Calderan, President, Rimorchiatori Riuniti Panfido & C. Srl , Mr Giannis Gkabrias, Market Research and Development, Ocean Finance. ,

The speakers agreed that the main goals of PM II have been achieved and the foundations for a sustainable and effective supply chain in the Eastern Mediterranean have been established. Moreover, the necessary studies for this as well as for the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel were carried out from a technical, economic and regulatory perspective. Namely PM II has contributed to the preparation of a regulatory framework with particular emphasis on safety aspects regarding LNG bunkering operations at Greek Ports, leading to the enactment of legislation (Presidential Decree 64/2019) With regard to ports, Piraeus, Patras, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa and Limassol, PMII financed the design studies for the development of small-scale LNG infrastructures (ssLNG) to enable the provision of bunkering services. Moreover, studies completed by PMII are enabling the construction of a truck loading station, for bunkering and off grid consumers’ supply as well as a ssLNG jetty that will accommodate vessels from 1.000 m3 to 28.000m.

At the second session entitled “LNG, a great opportunity for Shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean” experts discussed the increasing use of LNG as a shipping fuel both in Europe and worldwide; Participants included Mr Steve Esau, General Manager, SEA LNG, Mr Panayiotis Mitrou, Global Gas Technology Segment Manager, Lloyd’s Register, Dr. George A. Kriezis, Technical Manager, Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises S.A., Dr. Nikolaos Liapis, Member the Board of Directors, Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association and Mr Dimitris Spyrou, Consultant, Strategic Planning and Marketing Department, Piraeus Port Authority S.A.

It was concluded that LNG will have a decisive role during the transition to a sustainable maritime transportation. Moreover, synthetic and bio-LNG, that can  be used with the same infrastructure as for LNG, are compatible with the EU’s zero-carbon goals and will contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime sector Finally participants stressed the emerging role of Greece as an international LNG bunkering and distribution hub for the broader region.

Poseidon Med II project is a practical roadmap which aims to bring about the wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and help the East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low-carbon future. The project, which is co-funded by the European Union, involves three countries Greece, Italy and Cyprus, six European ports (Piraeus, Patras, Lemesos, Venice, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa) as well as the Revithoussa LNG terminal. The project brings 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.

Poseidon Med II virtual Conference 2021 was moderated by journalist Harris Floudopoulos,

Heraklion Port Authority e-welcomes Poseidon Med II

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A technical workshop was organized by the Heraklion Port Authority, which participates as a satellite port at the EU co-funded programme. This is the final dissemination event that shared the work to date and milestones of the Action to key stakeholders, seeking their input and comments to the completed activities.

In an atmosphere of consensus that the port should embrace alternative fuels in order to remain both sustainable and competitive, issues like the Presidential Decree on safe LNG Bunkering, training competencies, port manuals and the port’s masterplan to accommodate LNG, were thoroughly addressed.

The virtual event did not focus only on the technical pillars of the Action but moreover shared, with all participants, the basics of LNG as a marine fuel and also the project’s key features and attributes.

Mr. Minas Papadakis, CEO made a reference to the concerns stemming from the proximity of the infrastructure to the populated areas around the port; yet he continued by highlighting the positive impact of the Action on the sound profile of the Port of Heraklion. Mr. Papadakis concluded by expressing his full support to the deliverables of Poseidon Med II and welcomed the next era for LNG as fuel, which he characterised as being ‘far from transitional’ as regards to its application in the maritime transportation sector.

Mr. Stavros Lirintzakis, Project Manager on behalf of the Port of Heraklion, supported the above positions and proudly advised the audience that despite the difficulties, the management of the Port Authority and its stakeholders look forward to welcoming similar projects in the future.

Poseidon Med II project is a practical roadmap which aims to bring about the wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and help the East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low-carbon future.

The project, which is co-funded by the European Union, involves three countries Greece, Italy and Cyprus, six European ports (Piraeus, Patras, Lemesos, Venice, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa) as well as the Revithoussa LNG terminal.

The project brings 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.

Paving the way for LNG bunkering in Cyprus

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A technical workshop was organised by the EU co-funded project Poseidon Med II on the afternoon of 10th November during the EMC 2021 Conference and Exhibition, in Nicosia. This was an onsite live event aiming at disseminating the Action’s milestones while presenting the synergies in the gas sector that Poseidon Med II has fostered on the island and the wider Eastern Mediterranean area. 

With more than 40 registered attendees, the event was opened by Ms Eliana Charalambous Tanos, Acting Permanent Secretary to Mr Vassilis Demetriades, Shipping Deputy Minister to the President. At her speech she underlined the strategic importance of LNG to Cyprus while explicit reference was made to the Fit for 55 EU package and the framework currently being shaped by the regulators on decarbonization and climate change. 

Mr. G. Polychroniou, Executive Director, Strategy & Business Development at DEPA COMMERCIAL SA addressed the audience afterwards with an introductory note on what the project has achieved to date, also expressing the view that LNG is not a transitional fuel but rather a viable option that will strengthen the position of East Med in the pathway towards a low carbon economy. 

Mr. N. Argyrou, General Manager from Bunkernet undertook the role of Moderator giving the floor to 4 highly respected panelists, to position themselves on the future energy prospects of Cyprus by answering a series of questions. 

Dr. Solomonidis, Chairman of the BoD at Rogan Associates shared in his presentation the project’s activities from the side of infrastructure with a primary focus on the new LNG bunkering position at Vassiliko terminal. He also commented on the contribution of PMED II towards the readiness of the infrastructure in Vassilikos to receive LNG, but also on the next steps required to promote LNG as a marine fuel on the island. 

Dr. Kassianides, Chairman at Cyprus Gas Public Company (DEFA) confirmed that bunkering is certainly a priority for DEFA and they shall invest in relevant functions in the near future. As regards to the gas reserves found, Dr. Kassianides supported that quantities are still small to monetize the reserves but did not exclude any of the future scenarios if the market conditions are positive.

Mr. M.Demetriades, Non-Executive Director at Fameline Holding Group commented on the new project of Navigas under the Fameline Group called ‘BlueHubs’ and expressed the firm commitment of the Group to stay close to the party building the LNG terminal. He also pinpointed that Cyprus is a big ship management centre. 

Mr. Zacharias Siokouros, CEO at the Cyprus Marine & Maritime Institute (CMMI) concluded the panel discussion with an insight on the current and future projects that the Institute is involved to support the energy vision of Cyprus. A flagship initiative is the establishment of the Cyprus Decarbonisation Hub to foster new collaborations and research on alternative fuels and technology advancements in shipping.

 

 

DEPA signs EIB loan agreement to build LNG supply tanker

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Gas utility DEPA has signed a loan agreement with the European Investment Bank for the construction of an LNG supply tanker with a 3,000 cubic-meter capacity, sources have informed.

This loan agreement follows a funding agreement reached between DEPA and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) for EU co-financing – through the new BlueHUBS program – of the LNG tanker to be built by the utility.

Planned to adopt new environmentally friendly shipping fuels,  the LNG tanker promises to be the first of its kind in Greece and the east Mediterranean. It will be designed to meet LNG supply needs at Piraeus port and also transport LNG to other major ports around the country.

DEPA, a wide supporter of LNG usage in shipping, is coordinating the BlueHUBS program (2019-2022), aiming for the development of LNG supply carriers.

Jointly supported by Greece and Cyprus, BlueHUBS represents the continuation of the Poseidon Med II program and has a total budget of approximately 66 million euros, of which 30 percent is being provided by the EU.

Poseidon Med II LNG bunkering developments presented

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LNG bunkering developments for the Eastern Mediterranean were presented at a Limassol event this week organised by the European co-funded Poseidon Med II project.

Government officials, along with representatives from the shipping and energy industry, shaped the event agenda, which comprised of interesting presentations and a vivid panel discussion on the stage of Crowne Plaza Limassol Ballroom.

During the welcome session, Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping Natasa Pilides underlined the importance of the industry preparation to meet the environmental challenges set by international regulations. “We are looking forward to such LNG projects that offer realistic solutions to shipping industry”, noted.

George Polychroniou, Poseidon Med II Project Manager, Executive Director Strategy & Business Development at Public Gas Corporation (DEPA), announced the BlueHubs project which will materialise LNG bunkering applications in the ports of the region, based on the outcomes of Poseidon Med II.

Stella Fyfe, European Projects Coordinator at Bunkernet, revealed the specific LNG bunkering plans for Cyprus, which include the market preparation (under CYnergy project) the FSRU installation (under CyprusGas2EU), the construction of an LNG bunkering vessel based in Limassol and 2 Mobile LCNG stations & 3 LNG tanker trucks (within BlueHubs project).

The LNG feeding source of the region, the Revithoussa LNG terminal, and its small-scale profile was highlighted by Joseph Florentin, Poseidon Med II Technical Coordinator & Corporate Development Department Manager at Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA).

The first session was concluded with Panayiotis Mitrou, Technology & Innovation Manager, South Europe, Marine & Offshore Business Development at Lloyd’s Register, who pointed out that safety and training requirements are already in place for the East Med transition to LNG.

Whether the shipping industry is prepared for the LNG as fuel option was the focus of the roundtable discussion with all speakers and the contribution of Oleg Kalinin, Fleet Director at SCF Management Services (Cyprus) and Antonis Trakakis, Technical Manager at Arista Shipping under the moderation of Peter Wallace, Chief Engineer Oil & Gas at Lavar Shipping.

The panellists reacted to audience insights on the benefits of LNG as fuel compared to other options, the infrastructure challenge, conversion costs and safety implications as well as the horizon of LNG bunkering operations in Cyprus, which were highlighted during a live-poll.

The Poseidon Med II project is a practical roadmap which aims to bring about the wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and help the East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low-carbon future. The project, which is co-funded by the European Union, involves three countries, Greece, Italy and Cyprus, six European ports (Piraeus, Patras, Lemesos, Venice, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa) as well as the Revithoussa LNG terminal. The project brings 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.

All event presentations will soon be available at the Poseidon Med II website:www.poseidonmedii.eu