The London-based industry coalition Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) said it has formed its first regional committee as uptake of LNG ship fuel surges in the Asia-Pacific.
The new body held its first meeting on June 22, according to a statement by SGMF.
“Its first tasks will be to prepare a publication on the pathway to green ammonia and a regional dashboard tracking trade patterns to measure the multi-faceted impact of conversion to gas as marine fuel,” the coalition said.
Moreover, this dashboard would build on an existing East Coast Australia dashboard developed by classification society DNV, released late 2020, it said.
Walter Purio of P&H Marine has been named as the first chairperson of the committee, with vice chairs from three sub-regions. They include Tony Brooks of BE&R Consulting, Chetan Sood of Eastern Pacific Shipping as well as Jose Navarro of Lloyd’s Register.
“The APAC Committee represents a vital step for SGMF into regional representation and we look forward to robust strategic discussion to supplement the ongoing output from our technical and environmental Committees,” Mark Bell, general manager of SGMF, said.
LNG fueling on the rise in APAC
The committee draws on a diverse range of perspectives across SGMF’s APAC membership, which comprises around 35 companies from segments including shipowners, ports but also shipyards.
Also, other committee members come from companies including BHP, Rio Tinto, China Classification Society, Korean Register, MPA, Petronas, Woodside Energy, ENN and Pilbara Port Authority.
The newest members, BHP and Rio Tinto, bring expertise and scale in dry bulk. The companies are driving the uptake of LNG fuel in their sector, each recently signing long-term charters for multiple gas-fueled ‘Newcastlemax’ vessels, SGMF said.
“These APAC trades will help build the infrastructure and experience required for future growth in gas-fuelled shipping, as well as highlighting the critical role that APAC plays in the global development of gas as a marine fuel,” the coalition said.