Record LNG Bunker Vessel Ordered

Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have signed a long-term charter contract for a large LNG bunker vessel of 18,600 cbm capacity, to be delivered in 2020. She will operate in Northern Europe and will be the first ever capable of supplying large quantities of LNG in a single bunkering operation.

With this vessel, TMFGS intends to serve the emerging marine LNG market for container ships, including those sailing on the Europe-Asia trade. She will be used in particular to supply CMA CGM’s new build LNG mega container ships, following the 10 years contract of 300kt per annum signed with TMFGS in December 2017.

The highly maneuverable bunker vessel will be built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China and fitted with a Mark III membrane containment system provided by the French company GTT. She will have a length of about 135 meters and use LNG as fuel in conjunction with a complete reliquefaction of the boil-off gas.

The newbuild vessel will be managed by MOL (Europe Africa), a U.K. subsidiary of MOL. Beyond their historical commercial relationship, the two companies have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combine their expertise in the development of marine LNG infrastructure.

Other LNG bunkering vessels that have entered service include the 6,500 cbm Cardissa operated from Shell’s base in Rotterdam and the 5,800 cbm Coralius on long-term charter to Skangas. Also, the Engie Zeebrugge, jointly owned by Engie, Mitsubishi Corporation, NYK Line and Fluxys, with a capacity of 5,000 cbm, will service customers in Northern Europe under the brand Gas4Sea. Bomin Linde LNG has a 7,500 cbm vessel on order which is expected to supply customers along the Baltic Sea coast later this year.