SOHAR Port and Freezone is to join an elite group of ports offering LNG ship-to-ship services. That measures are now in place to begin issuing licenses to STS service providers equipped to handle LNG, came as an historic announcement at the 2014 Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON).

With 125 years’ experience between them, Fendercare and SPT will be offered the opportunity to provide this pioneering service after requesting permission to begin operations. SOHAR Executive Commercial Manager Edwin Lammers revealed there are also plans to establish LNG bunkering facilities in SOHAR in years to come.

“We are delighted to announce that we have put all of the necessary licensing structures in place to be able to start LNG ship-to-ship services in SOHAR. Around the world there are currently only a few ports that are able to offer this service, among them Port of Rotterdam and Singapore,” Mr. Lammers explained.

“This will be the first phase of our project, and we will move quickly in issuing the new licenses and getting things up and running. The second phase will involve installing LNG bunkering services for vessels calling at SOHAR Port,” he continued.

The news comes just a few months ahead of the International Maritime Organisation’s deadline for cargo ships passing through so-called ‘Emissions Control Areas’ to drastically reduce the level of sulphur oxide in fuel supplies to just 0.1%. This has prompted an almost immediate worldwide investigation into potential LNG fuelling options.

“While the industry continues to explore safe and commercially viable options for reducing SOX levels in conventional fuels, many of the world’s biggest shipping lines are looking to bypass costly upgrades in favour of moving directly to LNG. We’ve anticipated this trend and expect the industry to develop fast,” said Lammers.