Dutch trio land €4.3mn in EU funds for bio-LNG

Dutch companies Attero, Nordsol and Titan LNG have secured €4.3mn in EU funds to build a 2,400 metric tons/year bio-LNG plant, they said on December 13.

The FirstBio2Shipping project aims to erect the facility at an Attero facility in the Netherlands. Attero will produce the bio-methane from waste streams that will then be liquefied using Nordsol's technology. Titan will be the sole offtaker, providing the fuel to ships to displace heavy fuel oil.

The companies estimated that using bio-LNG could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 92% compared with conventional maritime fuel, noting it was also a cost-effective climate solution.

Proponents of LNG in shipping argue that the fuel already has the infrastructure and supply in place to meet demand, and that the gas can be replaced with bio-LNG and synthetic LNG in the future without ships having to invest in new equipment. But other low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia have also been proposed as solutions for decarbonising shipping.

The EU is providing the grant to FirstBio2Shipping from a fund devoted to helping all parts of the bloc's economy align with its aim to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030.