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Sohar Port and Freezone in Oman is to join an elite group of ports, including Rotterdam and Singapore, offering LNG ship-to-ship (STS) services. Preparations are now being made to issue licenses to two STS service providers, Fendercare and SPT, who are both equipped to handle LNG and have considerable experience in this sector, the port has confirmed.
Sohar’s executive commercial manager, Edwin Lammers, said: “We will move quickly in issuing the new licenses and getting things up and running. The second phase will involve installing LNG bunkering services for vessels calling at Sohar port.
The news comes just a few months ahead of the International Maritime Organisation’s deadline for cargo ships passing through so-called ‘Emissions Control Areas’ to drastically reduce the level of sulphur oxide in fuel supplies to just 0.1 per cent. This has prompted a worldwide investigation into potential LNG fuelling options.
“While the industry continues to explore safe and commercially viable options for reducing SOx levels in conventional fuels, many of the world’s biggest shipping lines are looking to bypass costly upgrades in favour of moving directly to LNG. We’ve anticipated this trend and expect the industry to develop fast,” said Lammers.
In another development that should benefit the port, Oman’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs has granted GAC EnvironHull permission to conduct underwater hull cleaning operations using the brush-and-diver-free HullWiper system at the port of Sohar. It is the fourth port in the Middle East at which the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is now available to provide eco-friendly hull cleaning services for ships. This latest expansion adds Oman to the GAC EnvironHull network, which already covers Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah in the UAE, as well as Gothenburg in Sweden.
GAC EnvironHull managing director Simon Doran explains: “Sohar was a natural choice for the next base for HullWiper due to its strategic location just outside the Middle East Gulf and close to international trade routes. As such, it is a port of call for many ships carrying general cargo, liquid shipments and containers – all of which can benefit from the increased efficiency and cost-savings that come with a foul-free hull.“
Sohar is also home to a branch of GAC Oman, which provides a range of shipping, logistics and marine services for local, regional and international clients and is ready to support the new service.
