No regulatory obstacles to bunkering with gas fuel in Russian seaports – expert opinion
There are no regulatory obstacles to bunkering with gas fuel in Russian seaports, Vitaly Klyuev, Deputy Head of the Primorsky Territory’s Seaports Administration, said at 2nd LNG Fleet and LNG Bunker in Russia Conference organized by IAA PortNews.
“In my expert opinion, there are no regulatory obstacles to bunkering with gas fuel in Russian seaports. However, bunkering in different seaports can have specific features, I suppose”, said Vitaly Klyuev сказал Виталий Клюев.
He reminded that Order No 463 (issued in 2017 and effective from April 2018) requires that General Rules for Navigation and Berthing in Seaports describe bunkering and each seaport has description of bunkering taking into consideration its specific features (Article 133). So, seaport regulations set forth specific bunkering requirements that cover bunkering at fixed fuel stations for small-size ships (on berths or near them) and at floating fuel stations, as well as truck-to-ship bunkering and describe specific features of such bunkering operations.
Besides, Article 131 of the General Rules covers bunkering with fuel differentiation. Those general requirements are applicable to bunkering with gas fuel.
As for gas fuel onboard the ships it is regulated by Clause 56 of the General Rules. It requires that each ship should inform about different types of fuel carried on board with special regulations foreseen for gas fuel, added Vitaly Klyuev.
“Gas fuel regulation system has not been fully elaborated yet but basic regulations are already available, - said Vitaly Klyuev, - however, there is no need to introduce any amendments into the law or especially to international norms, I think. As of today, it is sufficient to specify gas bunkering for each seaport”.
According to the expert, with General Rules for Navigation and Berthing in Seaports the main task is to ensure safe bunkering taking into account specific features of gas fuel.
“If there is any concern about safety, seaport regulations should say which berths or offshore points cannot be used for bunkering with this or that fuel. It is always a story of each specific port”, explained Vitaly Klyuev.
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