Annual LNG consumption by water transport can surge 7-fold to 2 billion cbm by 2030 – RF Energy Ministry
LNG fleet can grow 30 times by 2035
The concept for the development of gas-powered transport foresees the construction of 315 vessels running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the creation of 25 bunkering bases, PortNews IAA correspondent cites the forecast of Pavel Sorokin, First Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, presented at the III Russian Gas Mobility Forum 2023 in Moscow.
The Ministry of Energy, together with Gazprom Gaz-engine fuel and the Russian Energy Agency, has prepared a concept for the development of gas vehicle transport until 2035. The document "considerably revises the development goals of the gas engine industry and the ways to achieve them", analyzes the current situation and proposes a roadmap for the implementation of the tasks set. A special focus of the concept is on analytics and forecasts for the development of gas fuel in water transport.
According to the baseline scenario, gas fuel consumption in Russia can reach 8 billion cbm by 2030, and 12 billion cbm by 2035. LNG is to play the main role, its consumption may increase 10-15 times by 2035, compressed gas consumption may increase 3-4 times. “The target scenario is more ambitious. It forecasts an increase in gas fuel consumption to 9.5 billion cbm by 2030, and up to 16 billion cbm by 2035, with the growth mainly driven by LNG. Road transport is to account for the bulk of consumption - 6.8 billion cbm by 2030, water transport consumption may reach 2 billion cbm,” said Pavel Sorokin.
According to the Deputy Minister, gas fuel consumption by sea and river transport totaled 270.9 million cbm, or 194.9 thousand tonnes in 2022. As of today, Russia has only 10 LNG-fueled vessels including 9 sea-going ones (7 tankers and 2 dry-cargo ships) and one passenger vessel for inland waterways.
Despite the modest reality, the concept of the Ministry of Energy foresees the construction of some 300 LNG-fueled ships by 2035. This figure includes about 70 sea-going vessels (7 dry-cargo ships, 8 tankers, 10 passenger ships and 44 tugs), 187 river-going vessels (68 passenger ships, 14 tankers, 5 dry-cargo ships, 100 tugs), as well as 74 fishing vessels.
By 2035, the number of bunkering bases is to total 25 including those for sea transport in the ports of Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, St. Petersburg, Primorsk, Vysotsk, Ust-Luga, Taman, Tuapse, Vanino, Kholmsk, Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and some for river transport in the ports of Moscow (northern region), Cherepovets, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Saratov, Samara, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don and others.
To provide the bunkering infrastructure with fuel, a programme is being implemented to create a "network of mini-LNG facilities", which is synchronized with the regional gasification programme. “Up to 80 LNG mini-facilities should be built by 2035. They will provide fuel for cars and ships,” said Pavel Sorokin. According to him, the first phase of the concept implementation is planned for 2023-2025 when it is to obtain all the regulatory approvals and to become a federal project. The second phase, until 2030, will be focused on the construction of required infrastructure. “Russia is a country where water transport plays a very significant role, but LNG consumption her is currently experimental, not even minimal” he summarized.
