Skangas, the leading LNG player in the Nordic countries, says it has won the framework agreement in a competitive tendering process organized by the Finnish government central purchasing body, Hansel Ltd, and will supply the cleanest marine fuel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), to the offshore patrol vessel Turva and icebreaker Polaris for 2017–2019. The framework agreement has two years additional option. LNG as a marine fuel meets the current as well as future emission limits and has very high energy content.
”Our well-functioning cooperation with Skangas will continue into the coming agreement period. Our competitive tendering process has helped achieve a framework arrangement that works well in this developing market, with suppliers as well as client needs taken into consideration. The framework arrangement enables government organizations to source LNG with a high level of supply security and with consideration for responsibility aspects. LNG is an environmentally friendly shipping fuel,” says Jesse Ruotsalainen, Category Manager, Hansel.
”It’s great that we won the award for LNG supply to state-owned vessels during this year that we're celebrating the centenary of Finland's independence. We also supplied LNG to the offshore patrol vessel Turva and the icebreaker Polaris during the previous agreement period, and our cooperation with the clients covered by the framework is good. We performed around 600 LNG bunkering operations in the Nordic countries last year. Maritime transport plays a leading role in changing course towards a cleaner direction in the Baltic Sea. LNG complies with all the emission requirements and is highly energy-efficient,” says Key Account Manager Jouni Bedda from Skangas.
LNG is the cleanest shipping fuel and meets the current and future requirements set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU. A switch to LNG helps fully eliminate sulfur oxide and particulate emissions and cut nitrogen dioxide emissions by 85%. LNG use also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20%. LNG will play a major role in the future in the Baltic Sea region’s maritime and heavy-duty road transport.