«Газпром» и Группа «Сумма» намерены развивать глобальный рынок СПГ в качестве бункерного топлива для морских судов

20 september 2012
Today Aleksandr Medvedev, the deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, OJSC, and Aleksandr Vinokurov, the president of Summa Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
This document states the parties\' intentions to work together to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunker fuel for ships, including those owned and operated by Summa Group.

Gazprom Group and Summa Group will start by studying the possibility of collaborating in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. In addition to supplying LNG for Summa Group\'s needs, the parties will also consider expanding the bunkering infrastructure in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, particularly for storing LNG.

In the future, the parties will explore the possibility of expanding their cooperation in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, where Summa Group also operates ships and has developed port infrastructure.

"The introduction of strict, mandatory limits after 2015 on emissions for cargo ships in the Baltic Sea and North Sea is the most important factor in the transition to an alternative fuel. Only natural gas can fully meet the requirements for limits on emissions from ship engines without the need to install expensive purification filters, and its price is very competitive compared with low-sulfur petroleum products. Accessible and proven technology already exists for ships, ship engines, and storage facilities for ships that use LNG. "There\'s a real future for our work with Summa Group," noted Aleksandr Medvedev.

"This project is going to constitute a real break-through, thanks to the combined efforts of Summa Group, who is an infrastructure operator, and Gazprom, OJSC, who is a major global producer of natural gas. I am confident this will result in long-term reductions in the environmental impact of maritime transportation, not only in our country but throughout the world, and this will become a new industry standard," said Aleksandr Vinokurov.