Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), an international ship classification society, has classed India’s first LNG-FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit) marking a milestone in India’s energy shift towards natural gas.

Constructed at Hyundai Shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, the 180,000 cu.m FSRU which is flagged in India, is designed for continuous operations without the need for drydocking over a period of 20 years. The unit is assigned class notation for 20 years extended interval between successive dry-dockings and complies with the requirements of IRClass Rules and Indian Flag for this purpose. The unit is owned by Triumph Offshore Pvt Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Swan Energy Ltd, an India-based listed company.

The vessel can operate in two distinct modes – LNG Carrier Mode and Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) mode. This allows the utilisation of a FSRU for receiving LNG from LNG carriers, regasification of the LNG and sending it out.

The vessel complies with the recently updated Rules of IRClass applicable for LNG carriers provided with regasification systems and takes into account various risks associated with such systems by appropriate risk control measures. The updated IRClass Main Rules for Seagoing ships, covers the requirements for regasification systems in a separate chapter addressing various aspects such as systems design, fire safety, emergency shutdown arrangements, survey and testing requirements etc. The vessel has also been verified with respect to the requirements of the IGC Code and IRClass Rules for Gas carriers.

With strong government support and improved infrastructure in India, the prospects for natural gas are expected to rise significantly to meet growing energy demands in the country. This is also in line with the Indian government vision to build a gas-based economy and increase the share of natural gas in the primary energy mix to 15% by 2030, up from 6% today. This will also contribute towards IMO’s aim of reducing GHG emissions.

“As we anticipate energy demand to soar in India, it is important to move towards the use of clean energy to meet that need. Undertaking this project demonstrates our commitment towards a greener future, and we at IRClass are delighted to play an essential role in meeting that goal.” Commented IRClass’ Joint Managing Director Vijay Arora.

Female leadership should be a priority for maritime businesses – particularly in the bunker industry – where women make up just nine per cent of senior positions.

LQM Petroleum Services are bucking the trend and have a gender equality ratio of 50 per cent across global operations in the UK, USA and France.

But with around 2000 people working in the bunker sector as a whole, only 26 per cent of those are women.

Research from Advanced Resource Management (ARM) has revealed that of the 26 per cent, approximately 15 per cent fall into lower levels roles such as graduate positions, administration and purchasing.

At an LQM webinar last week panel comprising of Unni Einemo (Director of IBIA), Isabela Tatu (Consultant for TMA), Jenna Coles (Head of Maritime for ARM) and Sara Brady (Team Leader at LQM) discussed why female leadership in bunkering is so important.

“I came into bunkering through LQM,” said LQM Team Manager Sara Brady. “I was hired by a very strong female broker – who was also a partner in the business – and that’s why I’m so happy LQM are still continuing on the same path.

“I thought it was amazing to see such a strong businesswoman doing the best for our clients and accounts.

“It wasn’t about being a woman or man. It was about working as hard as you can to get there.

“I remember sitting on a board of directors with 15 men and it was scary because it’s hard to tell if they’re taking you seriously or not. Nearly two decades later, I’m going to the same board meetings and I’m so glad to see more women and female buyers.

“There are still some regional differences. It’s a slower pace of change in South America, for example, but there has been improvements – especially on the supplier side.”

LQM chief executive Daniel Rose says his organisation is putting diversity at the heart of their plans.

“Our 50 per cent gender equality ratio is something we absolutely intend to keep in the future,” Rose explained.

“Despite bunkering being male dominated, LQM’s experience is that keeping things balanced has been hugely positive.”

Harvest Energy Marine, a member of the Prax Group of companies,  has acquired the Total Zeebrugge Depot in Belgium.

The Prax Group has worked closely with Total Belgium over the course of the last few months to ensure the smooth acquisition of the terminal. The facility will be re-branded as Prax Terminals Belgium, with Harvest Energy Marine managing all bunkering and commercial operations performed at the terminal.

With a 20,000 cubic metre capacity, the Prax Group will use the terminal for the storage of marine bunker fuels. Its strategic location in the outer port of Zeebrugge means the company can cater to many customers throughout North West Europe, including car carriers, cruise ships, container lines and RORO vessels, offering ship owners and operators a minimum turnaround time in one of the world’s busiest ports. The terminal is ideally situated to enable the Prax Group to focus on its strategic plans to expand its presence in northwestern European coastal waters.

Sanjeev Kumar, CEO of the Prax Group, said: “I am delighted to announce the acquisition of the terminal in the port of Zeebrugge, which reflects our strategic objective to move into a new stage of accelerated investment, growth and development. This acquisition demonstrates our proactive approach to the ever-changing needs of our customers in the marine fuels environment and our commitment to build a robust and reliable supply chain to meet those needs. It is the natural evolution in our progression towards making Harvest Energy Marine a leading player in the global marine market.”

Geert Boden, General Manager of Harvest Energy Marine, said: “As we continue to serve customers from right across the north west of the continent, it is imperative for us to maintain the strong brand reputation and high standards of safety, supply and service for which we are known. The acquisition of the terminal in Zeebrugge means that Harvest Energy Marine is readily able to adapt to the changes in the current bunkering market. We are in a great place to respond to the requirements of our customers, both new and existing, in order to continue to deliver innovative solutions to reduce refuelling times, whilst providing customers with their most important resource.”