The first-ever tanker powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) to call on the Mombasa port berthed about two weeks ago, an itinerary revealed, boosting the gateway’s go-green emissions strategy in line with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol Convention).

 

Mv Arctic Tern, currently sailing under the flag of Singapore, delivered a consignment of palm oil from Malaysia to Mombasa. The vessel, which was commissioned on March 14, 2024, is 183 metres long and 32 metres wide.

As emissions regulations become more stringent, many ship owners are turning to alternative fuels to power their vessels, with LNG emerging as a popular choice.

LNG used to fuel ships is produced from natural gas extracted from underground reserves, including both onshore and offshore gas fields.

The arrival of Mv Artic Tern is a boost for the Port of Mombasa as it joins other seaports around the world in implementing MARPOL, the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) main convention for the prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes.

According to Julius Koech, Director of Maritime Safety at the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), the use of alternative fuels is part of the maritime and shipping industry's efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change."The levels of LNG emissions when burned are significantly low as compared to heavy fuels, which are being used, as it is also an advantage to the ship owner in terms of cost benefits in acquiring fuel,” he said.

Under the Marpol regulations, all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above that are engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other parties must have an International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate, issued by the ship’s flag State.

To obtain the certificate, ships must use low-sulphur fuel oil to meet IMO requirements, while refineries can blend high-sulphur (non-compliant) fuel oil with a low-sulphur fuel oil to produce a compliant one.

Mr Koech said more LNG-powered vessels are expected to enter the market as more players comply with anti-pollution laws."Moving forward we are going to see these kinds of ships plying the seas because the ambitious plan from the international arena is to decarbonise the shipping industry by 2050," he said.

Last year, the Port of Mombasa joined other ports around the world in implementing the new IMO Global Sulphur Cap 2020 rule, which came into force on January 1, 2020.

The rule requires all seagoing vessels to use of low-sulphur fuel as part of a global effort to reduce air pollution by cutting sulphur oxide emissions.

Mombasa-based Alba Petroleum and Alfoss Energy Ltd were contracted in December last year to refuel ships docking at the port with products containing 0.5 percent sulphur, compared to the previous limit of 3.5 percent.

The law affects all ship operators, oil refiners, and bunker suppliers. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships aims to reduce sulphur oxide emissions from ships by 77 percent or about 8.5 million tonnes a year.

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Kevin Mutai, ANTHONY KITIMO