Society For Gas As a Marine Fuel (SGMF) appoints General Manager and Directors & opens for membership

Following a decision by the Board of Directors of the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) at its spring meeting in Houston on 16 May, the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) was established as a new non-governmental organisation (NGO).

At its first full board meeting in London on Friday 20th September, SGMF has great pleasure in announcing that Chris Clucas of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement has been appointed President and Bernard Lesegretain of TOTAL and Yukio Matsukata of NYK have been appointed as Vice Presidents of the society.

The Board comprises leaders from the key stakeholders across the industry and the globe.
 
The board has also appointed Mark Bell as General Manager effective from mid October 2013. Mark will replace the SIGTTO General Manager, Andrew Clifton, who has been acting General Manager of SGMF since its formation.

Mark Bell brings with him a wealth of maritime experience, is a Chartered Marine and Mechanical Engineer and has spent a total of 16 years with two leading Class Societies, 3 years with the UK MOD and also experience with a UK Bulk Shipping Firm. Posts held during this period have ranged from Ship and Engineer Surveyor, Area Manager, Business Manager and Director. Mark has spent a lot of his career outside of the UK having been based in
Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East and prior to these appointments gained seagoing experience on VLCC’s, motor tankers and LNG vessels. Mark has a wide range of experience in the LNG industry.

The President and directors are very pleased to welcome Mark to SGMF and look forward to working with him during the formative time of the society and during a very exciting and challenging time for the use of LNG as a marine fuel.

SGMF has been established to encourage the safe and responsible operations of vessels using LNG as fuel and all marine activities relating to the supply of LNG used for fuel; to develop advice and guidance for best industrial practice among its members; and to promote criteria for best practice to all who have responsibilities for, or an interest in, the use of LNG as marine fuel. LNG carriers using cargo boil off gas for fuel are not included within the scope of the new Society's area of responsibility but the use of any other liquefied gas as a ship fuel is.
 
In advocating measures to enhance safety in the use of LNG as fuel for shipping internationally, SGMF will represent the interests of its members at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) once its NGO status is formally recognised by that body. It will consult with IMO, government agencies and other non-governmental organisations in exercising this principal role.
 
SGMF is now open to membership to all involved in LNG as a marine fuel as follows:

Full membership is open to all stakeholders involved in the LNG bunkering supply chain, including the following:

•    Shipowners - using or intending to use LNG as a ship’s fuel;
•    LNG fuel suppliers;
•    Bunker suppliers - LNG bunker barge operator and/or small-scale LNG carrier operator;
•    Port authorities - where LNG is bunkered or intended to be bunkered within their port

With all the benefits of Full membership except voting rights at the Members’ Annual General Meeting, is available to organisations which are a regulatory agency, classification societies, Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club, manufacturers (including designers, shipyards and naval architects) and other relevant organisations.
Source: SGMF (Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel)