The first instance of a ship bunkering using liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been performed at the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The bunkering was carried out as cargo was being loaded onto the ship, and follows the first ship-to-ship bunkering of LNG that took place at the quayside of the port last month.

Gothenburg Port Authority Energy Port operations manager Dan-Erik Andersson said: “Even five or ten years ago, the idea of ships running on liquefied natural gas would have almost been regarded as science fiction.

“Now we have had seven LNG bunkerings here in less than a month. It would be no exaggeration to describe this as a major breakthrough.”

The latest development has also allowed the Port of Gothenburg to meet the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive.

The directive recommends that core Swedish ports such as Luleå, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Copenhagen / Malmö and Trelleborg begin carrying out LNG bunkering operations before 2025.

Andersson further added: “This development has been driven from different directions.

“We have shipping companies and energy producers that have had the foresight to invest responsibly in the long term, as well as public agencies that have been compliant with regard to the regulatory framework.”

Sweden-based gas grid operator Swedegas has also announced plans to build a landside pipeline for LNG at Energy Port in Gothenburg next year.

The investment is expected to pave the way for the phased construction of a larger facility, which will supply LNG for both the transport sector and Swedish industries.