Financing marine LNG

With the deadline for IMO regulations approaching, the industry is closely evaluating the business case for liquefied natural gas

LNG has long featured as a means to an end: a way of transporting natural gas from source to markets. But it was only in 2000 that a Norwegian ferry, the Glutra, entered service as the first non-LNG carrier vessel to be powered itself by the fuel. Since then, the fleet has grown significantly. As the idea of LNG-fuelled ships has gained traction, financial officers and accountants at shipping firms around the globe have had to crunch the numbers to see how it might work for them. Industry officials believe a blend of regulation, reputational issues, logistics and economics will drive further growth of the market for LNG as a marine fuel. But in the immediate aftermath of the introduction of