Det Norske Veritas (DNV) has announced that the IMO (International Maritime Organization) has chosen DNV to gather knowledge about the potential of LNG-powered international shipping in the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) and identify the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of LNG as a fuel source in the region.

According to the DNV, the report will be delivered to the IMO in October, and be used as decision making support to work on the obstacles that may be identified.

In a prepared statement, the DNV said that natural gas is a widely available fuel across North America, but availability of LNG is limited, as the demand and supply side are waiting for each other, partly held up by logistical problems. The big investment decisions that have to be made related to LNG as a fuel are not made easier by the uncertainty and guesswork currently surrounding the feasibility of LNG as a fuel.