Both Powerzeek and DNV GL feel the timing is right for the launch of their LNG bunkering platforms, as the market is growing and becoming more complex.
DNV GL chief consultant Martin Wold said the main driver for the launch of FuelBoss is that there are now close to 200 trading ships using LNG as a fuel, with a similar number on order.
Wold said, previously, companies knew each other and how to connect. But, now, contract portfolios for the larger suppliers are starting to reach a point where they need more sophisticated and tailor-made solutions rather than Outlook and Excel to run efficient operations.
Pricing has always been a hot topic of discussion on LNG bunkering, with early adopter owners signing term deals with big-name suppliers and no figures emerging.
Powerzeek chief executive Dag Lilletvedt sees a need to make the market more open.
“The intention is to provide some transparency on the price of LNG as bunkers, to show the market where LNG is available and is being traded, and to put away some of the secrecy that is out there,” he said.
But some buyers and sellers of LNG as bunkers may take some time to convince before they shift to work from new platforms.
One LNG bunker supplier told TradeWinds: “For me, it doesn’t serve any immediate benefit.”
He classed his business operations as “small and agile”, and described the process flow for operations so far as “not that complicated”.
The bunker supplier voiced concerns about data protection, particularly if systems were supported or backed by large suppliers, and appeared concerned about rogue operators asking, “how do you filter out the cowboys?”.
But he concluded that if his customers demanded to trade via an online platform, then he would use it.
One owner of LNG-fuelled ships also appeared slightly sceptical.
He said shipowners are buying their LNG under different pricing models, which complicates the picture, and mentioned the differences in conversion rates for gas.
“People are trying to get things up and running,” he said. “But it’s early days.”
