Australia’s Pilbara Clean Fuels (PCF), which is developing the Port Hedland LNG bunkering plant in Western Australia, is joining forces with compatriot Oceania Marine Energy to work on an LNG bunkering chain in the port of Port Hedland.
Back in 2021, Oceania Marine Energy and Norway’s Kanfer Shipping have signed a letter of intent to bring an ammonia-ready LNG bunkering vessel to Australia.
Oceania is developing an LNG marine fuel bunkering service capability based on the charter, ship management, and also operation of purpose-designed LNG bunkering vessels.
“Recognizing the complementary aspects of their respective capabilities, project development and business objectives, PCF and Oceania have entered into a memorandum of understanding on December 19, 2022,” the two firms said in a joint statement.
Under the terms of the memorandum, PCF and Oceania have agreed an exclusive relationship through which to collaborate to develop an ‘end-to-end’ low-carbon profile eLNG production and marine vessel bunkering capability concept for the port of Port Hedland, the statement said.
PCF is planning to build a mid-scale electric LNG plant in Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore export ports.
In November last year, Australian oil and gas firm Norwest signed a deal to buy a 20 percent stake in Pilbara Clean Fuels.
The LNG bunkering plant would liquefy pipeline natural gas on a tolling basis, and supply it as marine bunker fuel for bulk iron ore carriers operating out of the port.
Port of Port Hedland, operated by Pilbara Ports Authority, welcomed its first-ever LNG powered vessel in January last year.
The proposed LNG plant would get power supply from predominantly renewable sources and have an initial capacity of 0.5 mtpa, with potential future expansion up to 1 mtpa by 2030, according to PCF.