ORLEN and Port of Gdynia to Assess LNG and Bio-LNG Bunkering Potential
Key Takeaways
- •ORLEN and the Port of Gdynia Authority signed an agreement to explore LNG and bio-LNG as marine fuels at the port.
- •The assessment will cover market demand, bunkering infrastructure, operational and regulatory conditions, including ship-to-ship and alongside supply options.
- •The study targets ferry, container, and ro-ro operators and will review bunkering practices already in place at other European ports.
- •The initiative is driven by tightening emissions rules, including the IMO's GHG reduction strategy and the EU ETS covering maritime transport from 2024.
- •ORLEN views the partnership as part of its wider fuel portfolio transformation through 2035.
Polish energy firm ORLEN and the Port of Gdynia Authority have signed an agreement to explore the use of LNG and bio-LNG as marine fuels at the Polish port.
The partnership will examine market demand, bunkering infrastructure, operational conditions and regulatory requirements, the companies said in a press release on Thursday. It will also assess ship-to-ship bunkering and the feasibility of supplying vessels while alongside.
The study will focus on the needs of ferry, container and ro-ro operators, and will review bunkering solutions already used at other European ports. The push comes as the maritime industry faces tightening emissions requirements, including the International Maritime Organization's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and the European Union's inclusion of maritime transport in its Emissions Trading System from 2024, which has increased shipowner interest in alternative fuels such as LNG and bio-LNG. Ports across Northern Europe, including Rotterdam and other major hubs, have already established LNG bunkering services.
The initiative forms part of ORLEN's efforts to expand its LNG and bio-LNG activities and to support the development of alternative marine fuel infrastructure along the Polish coast. Gdynia, part of the Tricity agglomeration alongside Gdańsk and Sopot, is one of Poland's main Baltic seaports and handles ferry, container and ro-ro traffic, making it a natural candidate for such an assessment. A next step to watch will be whether the study leads to concrete investment decisions on bunkering infrastructure at the port.
"Our expanded cooperation with the Port of Gdynia marks an important step in developing the LNG and bioLNG market in the Tricity area and forms part of a wider transformation of ORLEN's fuel portfolio through 2035," said Robert Soszyński, Vice President of the ORLEN Management Board, Operations.
"Shipowners are looking for solutions that could reduce emissions, while ports need to be ready to accommodate vessels using a range of fuels and technologies," said Piotr Gorzeński, CEO of the Port of Gdynia Authority.
Source: Ship & Bunker
