Serving the Teesside Business Community | 13
SHIP
SHAPE
The world’s first low-emission gas carriers,
the Coral Star and Coral Sticho.
CONSORTIUM SHOWS COMMITMENT TO
INNOVATIVE PIONEERING AND SUSTAINABILITY
SABIC and Anthony Veder pioneer LNG as a clean marine fuel in the North Sea
and commission an LNG bunker facility on Teesside
D
elegates from across the UK
and the Netherlands have heard
a progress report on a highly
innovative liquefied natural gas
(LNG) infrastructure project, led by
chemical giant SABIC and partners.
A consortium consisting of chemical leader
SABIC, gas-shipping company Anthony
Veder, terminal operator Inter Terminals
and port operator Associated British Ports
launched the LNG project at the beginning
of 2014, working closely to anticipate new
European Union legislation by exploring and
investing in new technological solutions.
A clean-fuel option that is attractive for
short-sea shipping, LNG is critical in meeting
new EU sulphur emission regulations in
marine fuels.
The consortium delivered the world’s
first LNG-fuelled gas carriers when SABIC
started to operate two new and innovative
vessels, carrying liquefied ethylene gas (LEG)
from the firm’s Wilton facility on Teesside to
manufacturing plants in north-west Europe
and Scandinavia.
SABIC and Anthony Veder invested
significantly in the state-of-the-art vessels,
named Coral Star and Coral Sticho, which
considerably reduce emissions of sulphur
oxides and nitrogen oxides compared to
vessels running on marine gasoil or using
‘scrubbers’.
The consortium will also soon deliver
a fully-operational SABIC-owned LNG-
bunkering facility on Teesside and has also
completed studies to boost further roll-out
of LNG fuel supply and demand in the UK.
Over the past two years, the consortium has
successfully established a new LNG fuel
demand and supply chain in the UK, with the
European Union supporting the pioneering
approach to slashing emissions by granting
financial aid as part of their TEN-T (transEuropean transport network) programme.
Paul Ruigt, category manager for
shipping and barging at SABIC Supply Chain
Chemicals Europe, told the delegates at
Crathorne Hall: “Based on an innovative and
entrepreneurial mindset, companies like
SABIC and Anthony Veder have set a new
standard for marine supply chains in terms of
sustainability by minimizing emissions.
“About half of the 10,000 ships currently
engaged in intra-EU shipping may benefit
from these developments. As a responsible
global company, SABIC is committed to
providing high-quality products to our
customers, while doing all we reasonably can
in order to reduce the environmental impact
of our operations.”
SABIC on Teesside is set to operate
its own dedicated LNG bunkering facility,
replacing a temporary bunkering facility
at PD Ports. Constructed under SABIC’s
supervision with the LNG fuel delivered
by Shell, this will improve sustainability by
reducing the time spent in ports and involved
port costs.
SABIC’s Paul Ruigt updates delegates
on the LNG project.
Representatives of the consortium members at the
Crathorne Hall conference are, from left: Ben Engelbert
van Bevervoorde (SABIC), Justin Atkin (AB Ports),
Gillian Baker (Inter Terminals), Paul Ruigt (SABIC) and
Niels de Regt (Anthony Veder).