Determination of the LNG Bunkering Optimization Method for Ports Based on Geometric Aggregation Score Calculation

Owing to stricter environmental regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020, the demand of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering is expected to grow by approximately 15% during 2020–2025 along with increased investments in eco-friendly ships by global shipping companies. Thus, determining optimal methods for LNG bunkering using existing ports that lack LNG bunkering infrastructure is necessary. Here, a method is proposed to determine the optimal LNG bunkering method for existing ports. Analyzing previous studies, we selected four evaluation factors: assessment of LNG supply for ships, suitability of fuel supply, risk of spillage, and domestic and international standards, which were used to calculate a geometric aggregation score via normalization, weight, and aggregation for selecting an appropriate LNG bunkering method. The analytical results indicated that the ship to ship (STS) method, evaluated based on the size and type of ships, is optimal for the Busan port. This is expected to contribute to the competitiveness of ports and their safety and economic feasibility by serving as a basis for determining the optimal LNG bunkering implemented in existing ports. It is necessary to expand the follow-up research to improve the evaluation method by aggregating more improved data through real cases.