Poseidon Med II ports simulate LNG operations

Members of the European Union(EU)-funded Poseidon Med II LNG-bunker port initiative have staged a series of simulation workshops to evaluate safety and operating issues for LNG vessels carrying out bunkering in port.

Five Greek commercial ports joined Revithoussa LNG terminal in the initiative; Piraeus, Patras, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa and Lemesos. They studied more than 90 real-time simulation scenarios, modelled using specialist software, based on various environmental issues.

The workshops studied how an LNG feeder ship would carry out cargo transfers to storage units and how an LNG barge might deliver bunkering to ro-pax ships at each of the five ports. The sessions brought together project teams from the ports, including pilots, masters and other experts, to assess the navigation issues and to identify and mitigate risks.

The workshops in Lemesos concluded this month and the findings will underpin future safety and environmental impact assessment studies for proposed LNG installations at the five ports and at Revithoussa, Greece’s first – and so far only – LNG-import terminal.

“The navigation simulation workshops were significant components in fostering collaboration with the project ports and port stakeholders,” says Lloyd’s Register Poseidon Med II project manager Anna Apostolopoulou. “We built a common knowledge base about the proposed bunkering operations within each port, aiming at improving operational effectiveness and mitigating risks.”

Poseidon Med II brings together ports in Greece, Italy and Cyprus, working to increase adoption in southern Europe of LNG as marine fuel. The project is co-funded by the EU.

Revithoussa is expanding its regas capacity to 4.7 million tonnes a year. Family conglomerate Gastrade plans to develop a floating import terminal at Alexandroupolis. Shipowner GasLog has bought a 20 per cent stake in the company and hopes to supply a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) to support the project.

source: http://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,poseidon-med-ii-ports-simulate-lng-operations_46615.htm