Qatargas using boil-off gas to power LNG carriers

LNG producing giant Qatargas has started a programme to utilise boil-off gas to power its chartered liquefied natural gas vessels during unloading operations at Japanese LNG terminals.

The programme is being implemented with the cooperation of Qatargas’ Japanese buyers, the Qatari company said in a statement on Monday.

LNG vessel Al Jasra had successfully conducted the first such operation while discharging at the Niigata LNG terminal in October 2019.

LNG tankers are designed to carry natural gas in liquid form at a temperature of – 163°C, close to the vaporisation temperature.

This natural evaporation, known as boil-off, is unavoidable and has to be removed from the tanks in order to maintain the cargo tank pressure.

Using the boil-off natural gas instead of conventional fuel oil “significantly reduces greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions over the course of the discharge operation,” Qatargas said.