POSEIDON MED partners hold Technical Workshop on LNG Bunkering Operations at Limassol Port

On 17 and 18 September Poseidon Med held a technical workshop on LNG Bunkering at the Port of Limassol. The workshop was hosted at the premises of the Cyprus Port Authority, in the Port of Limassol. Partners from Cyprus, Greece and Italy, including port authorities , supply chain stakeholders, technical and financial advisors, gathered to contribute to a Hazard Identification (HAZID) study of the proposed facility, which will enable the establishment of safe and efficient LNG Bunkering Operations.

Thanos Koliopulos, Global Special Projects Manager of Lloyd’s Register in London led the workshop under the role of the Facilitator, fostering open group discussions with all team members, especially on the operability issues surrounding LNG bunkering operations. On the first day, an onsite survey was organised in the passenger and cargo areas of the port. During the site evaluation, a review of the specific site issues relating to proposed locations for bunkering operations took place and the following scenarios were discussed:

a.       LNG bunker barge port approach and ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operations

b.      LNG bunker truck operations and jetty-to-ship (JTS) bunkering operations

Throughout the workshop, critical points around the issue of LNG bunkering potential in Limassol were discussed. There was live participation from all the attendees and matters like safety zones, simultaneous operations, size and numbers of bunkering barges, capability for re-loading LNG cargo locally or at remote location, impact of LNG bunker barge traffic in the Port Authority traffic operations, preliminary evaluation of bunkering systems for service at port including initial operations using LNG trucks and Port/ bunker barge, operating crew competence standards, were discussed.

Towards the end of the two days, a number of operational matters and resultant consequences were identified, together with safeguards/mitigating measures and recommendations to be addressed by the Project. A list of areas for further action and assessment was developed and this is to be further detailed by the Project partners.

Next on the Poseidon Med events calendar is the Technical Workshop on Vessels Retrofit for LNG as fuel, to be held on 22-23 September in Piraeus.