印度将试验用液化天然气为渔船提供动力

中国石化新闻网讯 据路透社8月14日新加坡报道，在明年对海洋燃料排放实施更严格的国际规定之前，印度将测试使用液化天然气为渔船提供动力，此举可能有助于该国南部一个未充分利用的LNG终端的运营。

这个南亚国家的喀拉拉邦发展与创新战略委员会，一个由南部喀拉拉邦的政府建立的智库和咨询机构，本周发布了一份意向书，表示有兴趣进行一个使用液化天然气为渔船提供燃料的试点项目。

印度正在寻求对目前位于科契市(Kochi)的一艘渔船上的现有船用柴油发动机系统进行改造，使其能够同时使用液化天然气和柴油，即所谓的双燃料系统。

渔船通常使用柴油作为燃料，但国际海事组织(IMO)的一项新规定——即在2020年后限制船用燃料硫含量，可能会促使各国政府探索使用更清洁的燃料。

液化天然气由于其加注用基础设施有限、成本较高，在渔业中并未广泛使用。

能源咨询公司FGE的咨询师Poorna Rajendran表示，由于连接印度南部科契LNG终端与该地区主要天然气需求地区的基础设施匮乏，该终端的利用率不足，政府可能正在探索提高该终端利用率的途径。

Poorna Rajendran 称：“科契LNG终端的运营商Petronet 液化天然气有限公司过去曾出租储气能力进行再装填，以提高终端的利用率。”

“支持液化天然气作为海洋燃料的使用，也将提高终端的利用率。”

根据意向书，该项目还包括通过修改船体安装液化LNG燃料储罐和其他相关设备和管道。

K-DISC要求在18周内完成这项工作，并要求在9月7日前提交提案，10月底之前提交商业投标。

FGE的Rajendran补充道：“在喀拉拉邦和印度，液化天然气加注仍处于早期阶段，因为这需要船东进行大量投资。”

裘寅 编译自 路透社

原文如下：

India to test using LNG to power fishing boats

India is set to test using liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power fishing boats ahead of stricter international rules on marine fuel emissions next year, in a move that could help an under-used LNG terminal in the south of the country.

The South Asian country’s Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC), which is a think-tank and advisory body set up by the government of the southern state of Kerala, issued an expression of interest (EOI) this week for a pilot project to use LNG to fuel a fishing boat.

It is looking to retrofit an existing marine diesel engine system in a fishing boat currently in the city of Kochi to enable it to operate on both LNG and diesel in what is known as a dual fuel system.

Fishing boats are typically fuelled by diesel, but a new regulation by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that limits the sulphur content of fuel used in ships by 2020 could push governments to explore the use of cleaner fuels.

LNG is not widely used in the fishing industry due to limited bunkering infrastructure and high costs.

But with the Kochi LNG terminal in southern India being under-utilised due to lack of infrastructure connecting the terminal to the main gas demand areas within the region, the government could be exploring ways to increase the terminal’s utilisation, Poorna Rajendran, a consultant at FGE said.

“Petronet LNG Ltd, the operator of Kochi LNG terminal, has in the past leased out storage capacity for reloading to increase the terminal’s utilization,” he said.

“Supporting the use of LNG as a marine fuel would also increase the terminal’s utilization.”

The project will also involve the installation of an LNG fuel storage tank and other associated equipment and pipelines by modifying the boat hull, according to the EOI.

K-DISC has asked for the work to be done in 18 weeks and is requesting proposals by Sept. 7, with commercial bids to be submitted by late October.

“It is still early days for LNG bunkering in Kerala and in India as it would require substantial investments from ship owners,” FGE’s Rajendran added.