Coast Guard members had the opportunity to speak to over 1,000 attendees from 24 different countries during the High Horsepower Summit Nov. 6-9, 2017, in Jacksonville, Florida. The HHP Summit focused on the use of natural gas as a solution for both land and marine operators to use in order to reduce fuel costs, improve environmental performance, and comply with air quality regulations.
Rear Adm. John Nadeau, assistant commandant for prevention policy, participated in a panel comprised of representatives from the Department of Energy, JAXPORT, Shell, and SEA/LNG. The panel focused on ways to facilitate the development of the natural gas market for high horsepower applications. In his remarks, Nadeau discussed two recent Coast Guard policy updates:
• Change 1 to CG-ENG Policy Letter 01-12 Design Criteria for Natural Gas Systems, released in July 2017, establishes design criteria for natural gas fuel systems that provide a level of safety that is at least equivalent to that provided for traditional fuel systems required by existing regulations. The update reflects the Jan. 1, 2017 effective date of the IGF Code as the international standard for design of gas fueled ships.
• CG-OES Policy Letter 01-17, Guidance for Evaluating Simultaneous Operations during LNG Fuel Transfer Operations, released in June 2017, provides guidance to Coast Guard Captains of the Port considering safety issues associated with SIMOPS while conducting LNG fuel transfer operations.
Nadeau congratulated Harvey Gulf, TOTE, Crowley and other industry leaders that have adopted LNG as marine fuel. He stated, “The Coast Guard was pleased to be involved with these exciting and innovative projects. The key success factors for approval of these and future LNG fueled vessels, bunker barges, and facilities include transparency, broad stakeholder involvement, and early and frequent communications between industry and regulators. Together, we can continue to safely facilitate use of this alternative fuel.”
Cmdr. Randy Jenkins, supervisor of the Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise, discussed trends in cruise ship crews’ demonstration of proficiency in designated safety roles and how that data will influence the regulators as the Coast Guard prepares for the eventual introduction of LNG-powered cruise ships to the U.S. market.
“The LNG market is only going to continue to grow, and we recognize the need to get smart on what the real hazards are and the common mitigations industry are utilizing,” Jenkins said. “We remain open-minded in helping to usher in the LNG market and rely on the expertise of the operators to help establish smart safety standards based on quantifiable data that are tailored to the unique issues of individual operations.”
Lt. Cmdr. Dallas Smith, detachment chief of the Liquefied Gas Carriers National Center of Expertise, provided an update on the Coast Guard’s involvement with and guidance on, the use of LNG as a marine fuel and associated bunkering/maritime infrastructure projects. Smith’s presentation focused on services provided by the LGC NCOE and the status of national policies regulating LNG fueled vessels and LNG bunkering processes.
This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.
