BW LPG, a shipping firm, is delivering Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG to support a just transition to low-carbon and environmentally sustainable economies and societies. See how we are making a difference one meal, one voyage and one scholar at a time, in a ten-minute documentary with CEO Kristian Sorensen as storyteller.
Vision 2045 and what will be 100 years of the United Nations
In 1945, the United Nations established a set of principles to promote prosperity and peace across the globe. These principles have since fostered the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In collaboration with Reuters and Acumen Media, BW LPG is pleased to participate in a documentary campaign, Vision 2045, which puts these values into focus and which also serves as a nod to what will be the UN’s 100th year anniversary. The campaign investigates conscious business practices and business leaders who embrace key principles of sustainability and prosperity. Each documentary provides insights to how businesses lay the groundwork for lasting change.
Uplifting communities with LPG
As the world transitions to a zero-carbon future, a lot of good can be achieved as it takes place.
LPG is a byproduct from oil and natural gas production, primarily propane, butane or a mix of the two. Its chemical composition means that it is a portable, clean, and efficient energy source that is readily available world-wide; and as such, LPG is an important transition fuel that can support a just and equitable transition for all communities, including in fast-developing economies. Read more about what LPG is here.
As a leading LPG shipping company, our scale provides us with the opportunity to use LPG to make a positive impact in our industry and in the communities we serve. In a ten-minute documentary, CEO Kristian Sorensen plays the role of storyteller as we explore how LPG can empower communities, decarbonise vessels, address gender imbalance and put us on a path to a Better World. See how we are making a difference one meal, one voyage and one scholar at a time.
As a leading LPG shipping company, our scale provides us with the opportunity to use LPG to make a positive impact in our industry and in the communities we serve. See how we are making a difference one meal, one voyage and one scholar at a time.
Powering Opportunity: Cooking millions of lunches for children
Hunger and malnutrition are some of the major causes of low enrolment, increased absenteeism, and early dropouts in schools for the estimated 90 million children from low-income backgrounds in India. Energy for cooking can change this.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that strives to address classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing the PM POSHAN Scheme (formerly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme) in government and government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra aims to fight hunger and, at the same time, bring children to school. The program has been shown to improve students’ academic performance and concentration in class, facilitated better socialization and fostered a sense of equality amongst students. In partnership with the Government of India and various state governments, and with the support of donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown to manage one of the largest NGO-run mid-day meal programs in the world.
The partnership between BW LPG India, BW LPG’s subsidiary in India, and the Akshaya Patra Foundation began in 2023. BW LPG is an energy partner for the Foundation, supporting twelve centralized kitchens in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Through this collaboration, BW LPG India supports the cooking of about 43 million lunches for children from over 2,700 schools annually.
Energy and education will fuel generations of children to reach their fullest potential and aspire to a brighter tomorrow. Read more about our CSR initiatives in India here.
Powering A Cleaner Fleet: Propelling a greener future with LPG dual-fuel propulsion
BW LPG pioneered the world’s first dual-fuel LPG propulsion engine, which can seamlessly switch between LPG and conventional fuels. We now have the world’s largest fleet of LPG-powered VLGCs. When compared to compliant fuels, these vessels reduce emissions of Sulfur Oxides by ~97%, Particulate Matter by ~90%, Carbon Dioxide by ~15%, and Nitrous Oxides by ~20%. This technology is a necessary and complementary step towards zero-carbon propulsion technology.
It has been four years since our first LPG-powered vessel, the BW Gemini was redelivered, and two years since all 15 VLGCs were on water serving customers with the lowest emissions profile for long-haul voyages. How is the fleet doing? In short, they have done well from an emissions and cost reduction perspective.
Reductions in emissions and costs, improvements in operations
We have been systematically scaling up our intake of LPG as fuel, to maximise emissions reduction, and maximise earnings by reducing the cost of fuel. Our engineers are also honing their expertise in dual-fuel engine management. We have been reaping the rewards from our ambitious retrofitting project. In 2022, our 15 LPG-powered vessels bunkered approximately 46,000 metric tons of LPG, saving about US$7.4 million in fuel costs. We also reduced carbon emissions by approximately 27,000 MT by using LPG as fuel. This translated to an approximate 15% reduction in CO2 emissions. We also saw a 99% reduction in SOx emissions, and 10% reduction in NOx emissions. Our LPG deck tanks complement existing fuel oil bunker capacities and provided us with full fuel and cargo flexibility during operations. We also established LPG bunker fuel contracts with new and existing partners in major loading ports.
To commit to decarbonisation is to commit to a sea change in how we operate. At BW LPG, we are walking the talk — planning a long-term roadmap that not only protects the interests of our shareholders, but also positions us to seize opportunities from the global clean energy transition. Read more about our plans in our latest Sustainability Report here.
Powering Diversity: Using profits from LPG shipping to provide scholarships to female cadets
Such large high-tech vessels transporting cargo worth millions of dollars require a highly skilled workforce. At BW LPG, we have a pool of over 1,000 seafarers. Mirroring an industry challenge, women is a minority in our seafarer pool. Diversity in all forms is important, but gender diversity is a particular element we support.
In 2021, we launched what is possibly the first and only initiative of its kind in India – a bond-free, fully paid scholarship with guaranteed employment upon graduation. Our scholarships are offered to selected female cadets studying at the Indian Maritime University (IMU) who have enrolled in the four-year B.Tech (Marine Engineering) degree, the three-year B.Sc (Nautical Science) degree, as well as the one-year Diploma in Nautical Science. The scholarship covers all academic fees so that our scholars can focus more on their studies and less on financial worries. Upon graduation, scholars can look forward to a supportive work environment where Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging are emphasised on shore and sea.
From a modest beginning with nine scholars, we now support over 60 scholars with plans to scale the program further. In 2024, we enhanced our support for our cadets with an annual stipend of USD500 per scholar who are enrolled in IMU, and sponsorship of compulsory certification courses during her first 12 months upon graduation, up to USD200 per cadet. Leadership training camps are also planned.
Read more about our female cadet scholarship program here.
At BW LPG, we specialise in shipping liquefied petroleum gas or LPG with one of the world’s largest fleets of Very Large Gas Carriers. We also invest in adjacent spaces in the LPG value chain and have a growing presence in LPG trading and LPG terminal and distribution facilities.
Delivering Cleaner-burning Energy to World Markets
Shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy, and the most fuel efficient and carbon friendly form of commercial transportation. It is responsible for the carriage of approximately 90 percent of world trade and facilitate the bulk transportation of raw materials, manufactured goods, and other commodities.
At BW LPG, we specialise in shipping liquefied petroleum gas or LPG with one of the world’s largest fleets of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs). We also invest in adjacent spaces in the LPG value chain and have a growing presence in LPG trading and LPG terminal and distribution facilities.
-
LPG Infrastructure
BW LPG Infrastructure is team that oversees our value chain asset investments in Indian terminal infrastructure and LPG downstream business.
-
Shipping – Our Core Business
BW LPG is listed on the Oslo and New York Stock Exchanges. The brand reflects the company as a whole, as well as our core shipping business. BW LPG India is the brand associated with our shipping presence in India.
-
Trading
BW Product Services is the trading arm of the Company. The team purchases LPG and offers it delivered directly to buyers and/or receivers.
-
About Us
BW LPG is the world’s largest owner and operator of very large gas carriers (VLCGs) for the transportation of liquified petroleum gas. We own and operate over 40 Very Large Gas Carriers and are a global leader in terms of number of ships and lifting capacity. With five decades of operating experience in LPG shipping, an in-house LPG trading division and a growing presence in LPG terminal infrastructure and distribution, BW LPG offers an integrated, flexible, and reliable service to customers along the LPG value chain.
-
Guided by our Values
The team is underpinned by a strong shared culture based around our CARE Values. CARE stands for our everyday commitment to quality in everything we do, it also stands for our values: Collaborative, Ambitious, Reliable and Enduring. It is a set of values that runs through everything we do at BW LPG and binds us into the culture and ethos of the wider BW Group. Being part of a global family with shared values is an assurance of quality for our employees, suppliers, clients and investors – our guarantee that we will always act in accordance with the shared values that define our whole group.
The key to building and maintaining our leading position over the last decades is the quality and experience of the team we have built both on-shore and at sea. The strength and depth of our people and their experience of working through multiple cycles is central to our success. As we grow and evolve into new businesses and markets, this culture will remain the foundation on which our future leadership will be maintained.
Read More
- Read about Sustainability at BW LPG here.
- Read about BW Product Services here.
- Read about our fleet of VLGCs here.
- Read about BW LPG India here.
BW LPG Corporate Communications Department thanks all stakeholders and colleagues who participated in the production of the documentary. Special thanks to CEO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation Shridhar Venkat; Director of the Indian Maritime University Chennai Campus Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Amit Bose; Captain Lacirus M. Fernandez and crew onboard BW Libra; and BW LPG India colleagues Captain Gaurav Bhatia and Captain Rajesh Joshi.
