June 2nd, 2017

In 2020, the sulphur content in marine fuels (tanks) will be drastically reduced. Currently between 1% and 3.5%, depending on the shipping zones, this rate will be reduced to 0.5% in 2020, for all the world’s seas and oceans. Refiners do not know how to economically reduce the sulphur content of heavy fuel oil; the reference fuel for ships.

Faced with this new regulation, shipowners will have to choose between the following three solutions:

1. Burn diesel (MGO) instead of heavy fuel oil, which would double fuel costs,
2. Continue to burn heavy fuel oil but equip their ships with a clean-up system called a scrubber,
3. Radically change fuel by choosing to burn the cleanest hydrocarbon of all: natural gas. According to sources, this new marine fuel could represent between 15 and 25% of tank consumption by 2025.

It is in this perspective that the Sogestran Group, of which bunkering is a historical business, has decided to reply to an invitation to tender (ITT) from the Shell group to develop and operate what will be the first river bunkering barge of natural gas in Europe. This strategic choice comes with several challenges, particularly technical, since natural gas will stay in a liquid state at atmospheric pressure when a temperature at or below minus 160°C. This is called LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

In response to this ITT, the Sogestran Group has teamed up with a Belgian shipowner, Victrol, also a bunkering specialist who operates on the Rotterdam port; the port where Shell aims to establish this first LNG bunker.

The Sogestran-Victrol partnership has been selected by Shell for the construction and operation of the first European bunkering vessel of this type via a long-term contract.

The self-propelled vessel, which will be delivered in 2019, has the following main characteristics:

• Length: 110 m
• Width: 14.75 m
• Capacity: 3000 m³ (4 tanks - 750 m³ each)

Other news from the group

September 13th, 2022	13.09.22	Air Liquide and Sogestran form the joint venture OCEOS for CO2 shipping and barging
September 8th, 2022	08.09.22	Delivery of the POINTE DE CAUX
June 20th, 2022	20.06.22	De Poli becomes NAVQUIM under Sogestran management
April 5th, 2022	05.04.22	Air Liquide and Sogestran partner to develop shipping solutions for carbon management
April 1st, 2022	01.04.22	Launch of the POINTE DE CAUX
July 21st, 2021	21.07.21	Jérémie Mion meets the Sogestran group’s teams
July 15th, 2021	15.07.21	Dubbelman and Sogestran Sign Definitive Acquisition Agreement to Integrate Dubbelman Group in Sogestran Logistics
June 23rd, 2021	23.06.21	Sogestran group welcomes Jérémie Mion on board
November 26th, 2020	26.11.20	Sogestran invests in the chemical tankers business
February 4th, 2020	04.02.20	The Sogestran group and the COMPAGNIE MARITIME NANTAISE - MN associate with NEOLINE.
June 24th, 2019	24.06.19	‘LNG London’ bunker vessel begins operations in Europe
October 22nd, 2018	22.10.18	The Sogestran Group inaugurates an office in French Guiana
October 4th, 2018	04.10.18	The Sogestran Group in video
July 3rd, 2018	03.07.18	Intermodal transport within the Group is evolving
June 8th, 2018	08.06.18	Nord Ports Shuttle launches a new service
May 3rd, 2018	03.05.18	Official inauguration of the scheduled FlexiLoire river service line
March 6th, 2018	06.03.18	The Pontias under construction
December 8th, 2017	08.12.17	An environmental trophy awarded to CFT for its fluvial fleet
October 17th, 2017	17.10.17	Inauguration ceremony of the Mayoury
September 29th, 2017	29.09.17	Inauguration of the largest French Roll-on / Roll-off ramp
August 8th, 2017	08.08.17	Inland navigation: directly from the ship to the barge
July 26th, 2017	26.07.17	Arianespace package transfer
June 28th, 2017	28.06.17	Acquisition by Sogestran of Compagnie Maritime Nantaise (MN)
April 15th, 2017	15.04.17	Double rotation of transformers, 278 tonnes each
October 20th, 2016	20.10.16	Lapresta’s first loading at the Total refinery in Antwerp