Rotterdam welcomes Korean LNG Bunkering Mission to the Netherlands

04/15/18

Rotterdam Partners, together with the Dutch Embassy in Seoul, RVO and National LNG Platform welcomed a delegation of 20 South Korean business men active in the LNG Bunkering sector to the Netherlands on 15 April 2018, for a LNG Bunkering Mission.

The delegation included representatives of Korean the Ministry of Ocean & Fisheries, KOGAS, Busan Port authority, Ulsan Port Authority, Korean Maritime Institute, Korea Energy Economics Institute, Gyeongnam Technopark, Korean LNG Bunkering Industry Association, Yooshin, POSCO Deawoo and the Hyundai Development Company.

The mission was all about learning more about the LNG Bunkering market in Europe, the estimation for the future, regulations, infrastructure and also to meet with Dutch organizations for potential future collaborations.

Especially for the Korean mission, Rotterdam Partners prepared a full program with company visits to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Shell HQ, Port of Rotterdam, GATE Terminal, TNO, Marin located in Wageningen and the ECT. A company match making event was organised on Wednesday 18 April, which provided Dutch companies the chance to meet the delegates and potential business partners from Korea.

About LNG

LNG is a natural gas that can be converted to a liquid form by cooling it to minus 162°C. This reduces its volume by factor 600 and allows for its safe and efficient storage and transport. LNG is not pressurized, is odorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive. This, among other things, makes LNG attractive as an alternative fuel for inland vessels and trucks. However, LNG differs from traditional fuels in various ways, which necessitates a number of unique safety measures.

Rotterdam the place for LNG Bunkering

Rotterdam is the place to be concerning LNG Bunkering. In the port of Rotterdam, import and export of LNG for use in Europe takes place on a large scale. This makes Rotterdam the ideal LNG hub. Through the Gate terminal, a joint venture of Gasunie and Vopak, on the Maasvlakte, the liquefied natural gas arrives by LNG carriers from the Middle East, Australia and Asia and other locations in the world. The Gate terminal serves as a hub: from here, LNG is reloaded into smaller LNG tankers for re-export, or is transported in gaseous form to the gas network in Europe by pipelines. The port of Rotterdam also plays a leading role in the introduction of LNG as a fuel for shipping and road transport.