LOTOS and PGNiG delivered 120 m³ (120 thousand litres) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunker fuel for SIEM HARMONY, a modern Platform Supply Vessel currently under construction in the Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard, to enable its sea trials before commissioning. The gas was transported by tank cars from the Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal to the shipyard in Gdańsk. This is the very first logistic project of this kind in Poland, a fruit of cooperation between LOTOS and PGNiG.

‘The terminal in Świnoujście allows us to efficiently transport LNG across the country. More and more vessels are powered with LNG, as a fuel ensuring compliance with the most stringent regulations pertaining to sulfur and other noxious product emissions. This is why we are going to develop our bunkering services,’ said Henryk Mucha, President of PGNiG Obrót Detaliczny.

Ships powered by dual fuel engines, considered highly advanced, run on both conventional fuel and much cleaner liquefied gas, which makes them more environmentally friendly compared with those using only conventional fuel. Shipowners switch to low-emission vessels powered with LNG in order to meet the EU’s environmental requirements with respect to fuels containing up to 0.10% of sulfur. More stringent emission limits set forth in the sulfur directive provide for a ten-fold reduction in sulfur emissions starting from 2015.

‘The technologies of LNG distribution and use are technologies of the future,’ emphasised Przemysław Marchlewicz, Vice President of the Management Board of Grupa LOTOS S.A. ‘I am glad that Grupa LOTOS, jointly with PGNiG and the shipyards, is taking on this challenge to the benefit of the entire country. We will support the development of this branch and related infrastructure. It is a right and desirable direction also, or perhaps mainly, because of environmental reasons.’

At present, LNG is the cleanest bunker fuel. It has a unique feature of evaporating and dissipating on contact with air, leaving no sludge on water. Therefore, even in the case of leakage, it will not pose any hazard to the environment. It is a safe and clean fuel, and ships powered with LNG are the safest vessels.

‘LOTOS Asfalt diversifies bunker fuel supplies to the market which expects suppliers to come up with alternative, low-sulfur solutions,’ said Piotr Przyborowski, President of the Management Board of LOTOS Asfalt. ‘This is a completely new and innovative direction in our business. What we are doing is communicate to the market that our product mix has been extended to include the LNG bunker fuel with delivery to all ports in Poland.’

About PGNIG

Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA (PGNIG) is the leader in the Polish natural gas market. PGNiG SA is a publicly traded company, listed in the WIG20 index of the Polish blue-chip stocks. The company’s business comprises exploration for and production of natural gas and crude oil, and − including its key subsidiaries − import, storage, sale and distribution of gas and liquid fuels, as well as heat and electricity generation.
PGNiG S.A. holds equity interests in 29 subsidiaries, including providers of specialist geophysical, drilling and well services, highly valued on international markets. PGNiG SA has branches and representative offices in Germany, Norway, Brussels, Russia, Pakistan, Belarus and Ukraine.
PGNiG SA is the sole owner of PGNiG Upstream International AS, engaged in upstream activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the Norwegian Sea; POGC - Libya BV, conducting hydrocarbon exploration operations in the Murzuq Basin in Libya; PGNiG Sales & Trading GmbH in Munich, which trades in gas; and PGNiG Finance AB in Stockholm, incorporated for the purpose of issuing eurobonds on the European market. Recently PGNiG SA has announced opening of LNG trading branch in London which makes the next step in developing international presence of the Group.

About Lotos

Grupa LOTOS is a Poland oil company engaged in the business of production and processing of crude oil, as well as wholesale and retail sale of high quality petroleum products. Grupa LOTOS is a producer and supplier of a number of products, including unleaded gasoline, diesel oil, diesel oil for heating purposes (light fuel oil), aviation fuel and heavy fuel oil. It also specialises in the production and sale of lubricating oils and bitumens.