Minister of Land Infrastructure Transport and To : Japan’s first international symposium on LNG Bunkering to be held in Yokohama （2017/01/31）

Since International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided that regulations on sulfur oxides (SOx) discharged from ships in general sea areas including Japan will be strengthened from 2020, the LNG fueled ships whose emissions are cleaner than heavy oil fueled ships are expected to gain widespread acceptance. The Ports and Harbors Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism compiled a development plan to build LNG bunkering hubs in Japan, using the Port of Yokohama as a model case. In addition, the authorities attained an international agreement in this regard through signing of a 'Memorandum of understanding in relation to the cooperation on the development of LNG as a marine fuel (MOU)' by eight representatives from seven countries to form international LNG bunkering ports network. Formation of an LNG bunkering hub and building of a network require proactive efforts by a wide range of stakeholders, including shipping companies and energy companies. For this reason, we plan to hold an international symposium on LNG bunkering as described below to clarify our future directions and promote the initiatives of each entity towards the future.

1. Date & Time: April 3, 2017 (Monday) 14:00～17:00
2. Venue: Yokohama Royal Park Hotel (2-2-1-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)
3. Agenda
Keynote lecture by Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki, the Founder and Chairman of FGE
Panel discussion
Moderator: Mr. Masamichi Morooka, President Yokohama Kawasaki International Port Corporation
Panelists
Mr. Michael Chia Managing Director (Marine), Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd
Mr. Michiaki Hirose, President Tokyo Gas co., Ltd
Mr. Perer Keller, Executive Vice President Totem Ocean Trailer Express
Mr. Tadaaki Naitou, President Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line)
Mr. Andrew Tan, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Representative from cruise shipping company (pending)
4. Entry: Regarding related details and entry, please refer to the attached file and the following site. Further, this event is free to attend.

　URL http://eventregist.com/e/LNG2017

【Contact】
Takeshi SUZUKI
Mail:suzuki-t22t@ mlit.go.jp (Delate the space after @)
Deputy Director | Management and Operation Division | Ports and Harbours Bureau | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan.