Titan Plans First Dual-Fuel Bio-LNG Bunkering Vessel
As efforts continue to build out the LNG-bunkering fleet to meet the demand for the alternative fuel, Dutch fuel supplier Titan LNG is proposing a new concept to further enhance both the LNG infrastructure and provide the first option for bio-LNG bunkering. The company announced it is launching a tender for proposals to build the new design bunkering vessel.
The new LNG bunkering barge, Titan Krios, will increase the accessibility of LNG as a marine fuel in the Port of Zeebrugge and in the English Channel ports the company says. The design for Krios is a compact seagoing LNG bunker vessel having 4,200 cbm in capacity, with low air draught, high maneuverability, and a small footprint. It will also be equipped with all facilities to enable fast, flexible, and reliable LNG supply. The vessel will feature state-of-the-art cargo conditioning equipment and will have two bow thrusters for easy maneuvering.
The unique feature in the design is multiple tanks to segregate streams of LNG and introduce the option for bio-LNG for those operators and owners looking to further decarbonize operations and comply with emission reduction regulations. Bio-LNG creates a more sustainable carbon-neutral fuel produced from biological waste streams. As it can be stored and supplied using existing infrastructure, blended with LNG, and dropped into existing engine technology, the dual-tank design for bio-LNG presents a new option for shipowners.
Titan's LNG barges introduced in 2019 and 2021 in Amsterdam and Antwerp (Titan)
“As demand for LNG, and increasingly bio-LNG, accelerates, ensuring the right infrastructure and supply is in place for our customers is essential,” said Michael Schaap, Titan LNG’s Commercial Director Marine. “LNG is the only fuel choice available today which offers immediate and long-term benefits to reducing GHG emissions, and a clear pathway to achieving decarbonization targets. With the new Titan Krios joining our expanding fleet, we will continue our efforts to enable a more sustainable future for shipping through global accessibility to LNG, bio-LNG, and eventually clean LNG produced from green hydrogen.”
Titan expects that the Krios will fulfill its first delivery in 2023. The company has been moving rapidly to expand its LNG bunkering capabilities. At the end of March, the company introduced a new LNG bunker barge, the FlexFueler 002, which is jointly owned with Fluxys and operates in the Port of Antwerp. They had previously introduced the FlexFueler 001 barge in 2019 operating in Amsterdam and said a third was planned.
Titan also entered into a long-term charter for the Green Zeebrugge from NYK. With a capacity of 5200 cbm, the vessel will be used to supply LNG to larger LNG-fueled vessels in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region.