Rede logística de Gás Natural para abastecimento de embarcações na Amazônia brasileira

Abstract

Previously seen as an alternative of the future, the employment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as ship fuel is already a reality worldwide and is consolidating itself as fast-growing industry. In Brazil, despite the remaining obstacles, the conditions for its flourishing are maturing: favorable prices, increasing natural gas availability, growth in the public perception of the transportation activities` environmental impacts, among other factors. This work analyzes technical, economical and regulatory aspects of Small Scale LNG (SSLNG), focusing on its application on inland shipping in the Brazilian Amazon. Further on, it proposes a conceptual and mathematical model for the sizing of a LNG bunkering logistics network deployed in the Northern Arc’s grains export terminals. This network, made up of a storage and bunkering LNG barge fleet, was optimized for a set of scenarios and the results were analyzed in light of the minimization of the costs of the system. The solution with the smallest cost resulted in a fleet of 6 barges operating in an average speed of 10 knots, each with a capacity of 400 m3.