Temptation of “Feast” with Hundreds of Billion Yuan

Reporter Zhang Junjie

Aspeeds up again.The industry insiders expected that based on the calculation of ships aged under 7 years as per the current pilot ship requirements, the market size of ships “switching from oil fuel to gas” might reach 30b to 60b Yuan, and plus the newbuilding market, the total market value is expected to reach 100 billion Yuan.LNG-powered ship is expected to become another compelling industry chain following LNG-powered car.t present, under the dual drivers of policy and market, the process of inland river ship“switching from oil fuel to gas” in China

In terms of ship type, China has completed the LNG modification test in tug, bulk carrier, cruise ship and fishing boats, and mastered mature technology of engine modification.In particular, China has made a major breakthrough in LNG bunkering vessel.However, the industry still expressed varying degrees of concern about not only the safety of modification and new shipbuilding project of LNG-powered ship, but also the problem of current “fanfare and little action” in promoting LNG-powered ship.

For the worries from the industry, Mr.Luo Xiaofeng,Director of CCS Wuhan Rules & Research Institute suggests that, the application of LNG-powered ship takes place against the backdrop of the continued world shipping downturn, but we should have confidence to expand the market.CCS will provide solutions for the market while establishing the standards for LNG-powered ship.

In the LNG-powered ship market, either for modification or for newbuilding, marine engine is absolutely playing a leading role.Featuring high technology, engine modification should be based on abundant fundamental research results in order to ensure the modification quality.But judging from the current situation of ship modification, without perfect market access mechanism and mature modification technology, it is difficult to ensure the safety of the system after modification as all kinds of enterprises swarm into the market at same time.

Taking a closer look at the LNG-powered ship equipment market, we can see that almost all types of parts can be produced in China, but we still need to pay more attention to the quality control of the products.Therefore, some enterprises have actively applied for CCS certification to strengthen quality control of their products.With the energy enterprises speeding up the deployment and construction of LNG bunkering stations, and with the introduction of relevant standards and the improvement of industrial chain, industry experts predict that around 2015, LNG-powered ships will be put into operation on a large scale in China, and marine equipment industry will usher in a development opportunity.Those who can get involved in the sector as early as possible and develop marketable products will become the biggest beneficiaries in the market.