When you apply for bunkering or for the establishment of bunkering systems, you should be aware of several issues. They concern: Safety, the environment, security, occupational health and construction works – and are of relevance to the applicants as well as to the authorities.
For local, geographical or constructional differences, it is not possible to draw up guidelines as such on bunkering and the establishment of LNG bunkering installations. Therefore, the contents on this page should be considered an overview of current regulations, relevant authorities, etc.
It should be stressed that there may be local conditions that necessitate further consideration that have not been included in this overview. Therefore, the overview serves only as guidance, and it is recommended to engage in dialogue with the relevant authorities early in the process.
Relevant authorities
In connection with the consideration of an application for bunkering LNG in Denmark, the applicant must usually contact two authorities:
- The Danish Maritime Authority, which takes care of the part related to the ship, including bunkering from another ship.
- The municipality, which takes care of the part related to bunkering and the shore-based facilities, including any cooperation with other authorities.
Bunker operations and the establishment of LNG bunkering installations may influence, for example, the municipal environmental or business policy, which may necessitate political consideration of the case. Such consideration will affect the case consideration, the procedure applied and the period of time spent considering the case.
The municipality and the Danish Maritime Authority must coordinate, inter alia to create homogeneity and coherence, for example in connection with bunkering, shielding and shore-based possibilities of evacuation. Finally, other authorities may need to be consulted and/or to grant a bunkering permit. They may, for example, be the Danish Emergency Management Agency (safety and preparedness), the Danish Working Environment Authority (safety at work) and the police (terrorism threat assessments and counter-terrorism security).
Process and coordination
In order to make things easier for the applicants, the Danish Maritime Authority and the municipality are striving to ensure that the applicant can use them as an entry point for other authorities. The municipality has many areas that must be included, while the Danish Maritime Authority may be the first authority that is in contact with the shipowner when the process approving the ship is initiated.
Already at the start of the case (before applications, etc. are drawn up), it may be a good idea to have a meeting with all the parties concerned, such as the shipowner/shipyard, gas supplier, port, municipality (inter alia environmental and emergency preparedness personnel) and the Danish Maritime Authority. If it is not possible to gather all the parties, a meeting should at least be held between the municipality and the Danish Maritime Authority. At such a meeting, the future process, the sequence of the case consideration, coordination and interfaces between the authorities, etc. could be agreed. It may be a good idea to discuss the requirements for, inter alia, risk assessments and evacuation plans to ensure that overlapping analyses are not drawn up. In addition, it may be a good idea to discuss already at the start what the specific application should contain. In this manner, the necessary basis for a final approval can be created early in the process.
The application
Changes may arise in the course of the case consideration. Therefore, it is decisive that the changes are documented and described in such a manner that the basis for a permit is unequivocal.
The material contained in the application may cover several authorities. Therefore, it is recommended that the requirements for the contents, drafting and approval be coordinated in connection with the following areas:
- Risk analysis
- Passenger accommodation and movements during bunker operations
- Evacuation plan
- Communication equipment for on-board and shore-based operators
Regulations/legislation, etc.
Below, you have a schematic presentation of the areas affected by bunker operations, the regulations in force in this area and the responsible authority:
Overview of the authorities' case consideration when establishing LNG bunkering installation
Danish Maritime Authority
The municipality
Others - often through the municipality