PDI’s initiative proposal for an LNG Masterplan for the Rhine-Main-Danube, which was submitted within the TEN-T Programme was suggested by the EC for funding and adopted by the Member States Committee on the 11th of July 2013. This is great success for the LNG Masterplan Project Partners, taking into consideration that the competition was considerable and only less than a quarter of the requested funding was approved.
 
The project however suffered a budget reduction with regard to pilot deployments whose implementation was considered to be time-critical for the overall project implementation. This will require that the project budget is renegotiated with the relevant project partners, which have been already initiated by PDI and the Port of Rotterdam as Project Coordinators. The final contractual procedures which include the council decision are expected to be closed in November/December this year.
 
The LNG project was also selected to be presented on the TEN-T Days 2013: Connecting Europe – On the move to the new TEN-T in Tallinn (15-18 October), which is the major political event for EU transport infrastructure policy. Right after this political launch of the project the practical implementation of the project will kick-off.
 
The LNG Masterplan project shall prepare the framework for the use of LNG as fuel and as a cargo on the Rhine-Main-Danube axis and will lead to the deployment of several LNG fuelled vessels and bunker facilities. This will be the first step into a full scale use of LNG as environmentally friendly and cost-effective fuel for inland navigation. The project also represents an example of how public and private funding can be combined to implement sustainable projects of common interest.