EPIK reveals Newcastle LNG bunkering plans

South Korean firm EPIK is planning to add LNG bunkering services to its proposed Newcastle import project in New South Wales, Australia.

Plans for the Newcastle GasDock terminal currently include a FSRU, jetty, and the connecting pipeline.

“The addition of LNG bunkering is a logical extension of the Newcastle GasDock project,” said EPIK managing director, Jee Yoon.

According to Yoon, LNG bunkering will allow EPIK’s customers to take advantage of LNG’s “demonstrated environmental benefits”, helping slash emissions.

“Given the Port of Newcastle’s considerable industrial marine traffic and proximity to Sydney, our project provides an ideal platform to add LNG bunkering operations,” he said.

The Port of Newcastle, which welcomes more than 2,000 ship visits each year, and other nearby ports including Sydney represent “high-potential” LNG bunkering fuel markets, with steady and significant marine traffic.

The cruise industry in particular has distinguished itself as a major early adopter of LNG as a marine fuel. EPIK expects that the Sydney Harbour cruise sector, with over 300 annual cruise ship port calls, could require more than a quarter of a million tons of LNG annually over the coming years.

Similarly, bulk carriers, which make up a significant portion of Port of Newcastle marine traffic, could generate considerable new demand for LNG bunker fuel in the region over the coming years, the firm said.

To remind, EPIK previously said it expects operations for the Newcastle project to start ahead of the peak winter 2023 demand period.

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