New ISO standard for the safe bunkering of LNG-fuelled ships

Traditionally LNG tankers have often used LNG as a source of fuel. However increasingly we are also seeing a number of vessels involved in passenger, cargo, research and support services utilising the fuel, especially in European waters. Today there are thought to be over 100 LNG fuelled vessels operating in European waters, it is expected by classification society DNV that this could increase to over 1000 within a decade.

It is not only Europe that is showing an interest LNG as a fuel source for shipping, but also other regions of the world. As a result, there has been a need to create a new International organisation for standardisation standard for the operation of bunkering services for such vessels. As a result, a new ISO20519 Ships and marine technology – Specification for bunkering of liquefied natural gas fuelled vessels. The organisation says its new standard ensures that LNG fuelled vessels bunker in a safe and sustainable way.

The working group behind the new safety standard ISO 20519 included maritime industry experts, equipment manufacturers, representatives from the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel, trading companies, class societies, international registries and the United States Coast Guard. However the ISO 20519:2017 was produced at the request of IMO, the European Commission and the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO).

As the popularity in using LNG spreads across the world, there will be an increasing need for new bunkering facilities to be developed around the world. The new standard in enables ships operators to find providers bunkering service to meet a common set of standards in terms of safety and responsibility in the delivery of processes and procedures.

The new ISO says that standardising safety practices is necessary to ensure a common set of requirements that are understood by all – from LNG provider to ship personnel. It says that ISO 20519 contains requirements not covered by IMO’s IGC Code that covers the safe carriage by sea of liquefied gases in bulk. These include:

• hardware – liquid and vapour transfer systems
• operational procedures 
• requiring the LNG provider to provide an LNG bunker delivery note

ISO technical committee chair and convenor of the working group that developed the standard Steve O’Malley said: “The requirements of ISO 20519 can be incorporated as a management objective into existing management programmes and provide verifiable compliance.” Since we are still at the pioneering stage in the use of LNG as a fuel, it is clear that there will be many future revisions needed to include any likely lessons learned and technological developments that may occur. As a result the ISO has created a specialist group to monitor LNG bunkering incidents and watch out for the need to update the standard.

LNG bunkering workshops
In 2017, participants at the Poseidon Med II LNG bunkering project staged a series of simulation workshops to assess safety and operating issues for LNG vessels carrying out bunkering in port. Amongst the participants involved from:

• the Greek ports of: Piraeus, Patras, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa
• the Cypriot port of Limassol
• the Greek LNG terminal at Revithoussa

At the workshop the participants were involved in a series of realtime simulation scenarios modelled using specialist software based on various issues as they may apply to each of the ports involved including:

• how an LNG feeder ship word transfer to storage units,
• how an LNG barge might deliver bunkering to a roll-on and roll off ferry

The sessions brought together project teams from the ports, including pilots, masters and other experts, to assess the navigation issues and to identify and mitigate risks.

The workshops concluded in September 2016 and the findings will underpin future safety and environmental impact assessment studies for proposed LNG installations at the five ports and at Revithoussa – Greece’s first, and so far only, LNG import terminal. “The navigation simulation workshops were significant components in fostering collaboration with the project ports and port stakeholders,” said Poseidon Med II project manager for Lloyd’s Register Anna Apostolopoulou. “We built a common knowledge base about the proposed bunkering operations within each port, aiming at improving operational effectiveness and mitigating risks. Poseidon Med II brings together ports in Greece, Italy and Cyprus, working to increase the adoption in southern Europe of LNG as marine fuel. The project is co-funded by the EU.

Revithoussa is expanding its re-gas capacity to 4.7 million tonnes a year. Family conglomerate Gastrade plans to develop a floating import terminal at Alexandroupoli. Ship-owner GasLog has bought a 20 per cent stake in the company and hopes to supply a floating storage and regasification unit to support the project.