SGMF forms APAC committee to push LNG as marine fuel

U.K.-based Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) has formed its first regional cooperation committee, as the use of LNG as ship fuel rises in the Asia Pacific.

This APAC committee held its first meeting on 22 June.

Firstly, it wants to prepare a publication on the pathway to green ammonia. This will also include a regional dashboard tracking to measure the impact of conversion to gas as a marine fuel. The dashboard will build on DNV’s East Coast Australia dashboard from 2020.

SGMF says the committee, above all, draws on a diverse range of perspectives across APAC membership. The membership includes around 35 companies from segments including shipowners, ports, and shipyards. Other members come from companies like BHP, Rio Tinto, China Classification Society, Korean Register, MPA, Petronas, Woodside Energy, ENN, and Pilbara Port Authority.

The newest members are BHP and Rio Tinto. Each recently signed long-term charters for multiple gas-fuelled ‘Newcastlemax’ vessels. Therefore, they are driving the uptake of LNG fuel in their sector.

Walter Purio of P&H Marine is the first chairperson of the committee. The vice-chairs belong to three sub-regions: Tony Brooks of BE&R Consulting (Australasia); Chetan Sood of Eastern Pacific Shipping (Southeast Asia) and Jose Navarro of Lloyd’s Register (North Asia).