TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Mitsui O.S.K Lines move closer to operational service of first LNG bunker vessel
The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel to be based in France has marked another step towardsher delivery and operational commencement, following the successful completion ofhersea and gas trials, according to MOL's release.
The new vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MOL signed a long-term charter contract in November 2019 and construction commenced in April 2020. The 18,600-m³ capacity vessel wasfirst launched fromthe Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China at the end of April 2021. In June, sea trials were conducted off Shanghai where the new vessel’s navigation and propulsion systems were successfully tested, including speed and maneuverability assessments atopen sea.
Gas trials were completed in early July, under the attendance of the ship management team.Due to go into operational service in the final quarter of 2021, the vessel will be operated by V-Ships France,under the French flagand will be based in the Port of Marseille-Fos, Southern France, to serve the Mediterranean region. Her first contracts will be to performLNG bunkering services to CMA CGM’s LNG-fuelled containerships and MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships that call at the French port.
Leveraging the design-and-build experience for TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ first chartered LNG bunker vessel – Gas Agility–the world’s largest LNG bunker vessel in operation, the new vessel will incorporate enhanced equipment boostingits bunkering efficiency and flexibility to supply LNG to a wide range of vessels across various segments and sizes.
These improved features include an additional bow thruster, upgraded cargo pumps and high duty compressors, as well as a pressure reduction system to optimize bunkering operations of ‘Type C’ tank vessels under all conditions. Other key features will be similar to the Gas Agility’s pioneering design.
The 135 meters long, GTT Mark III membrane vessel will meet the highest technical and environmental standards, herself using LNG as propulsion fuel and integrating a complete re-liquefaction of the boil-off gas. The Bureau Veritas-classed vessel also underlines a strong collaborative action across the French maritime industry and the excellence of its value chain, from incorporating technologies of leading French companies into the vessel’s shipbuilding, to the supply of LNG, and the involvement of local port authorities to enable the vessels’ safe operatorship.
By end 2021, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will charter two LNG bunkering vessels in Rotterdam and Marseille and share the use of a third bunker vessel in Singapore. In February 2021, the Singapore entity of TotalEnergies Marine Fuelsalso received a license from the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to supply LNG in the Port of Singapore from 2022.
About TotalEnergies Marine Fuels
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is TotalEnergies’ dedicated business unit in charge of worldwide bunkering activities. With over three decades of market experience, our strategic focus on cleaner marine fuel solutions gives our shipping customers the confidence and support they need to reduce their environmental footprint and navigate their pathway towards achieving the sector’s decarbonization goals.
About Mitsui O.S.K Lines
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), as a multi-modal transport group, meets the needs ofthe era in a wide variety of fields including dry bulkers, crude oil tankers, LNG carriers and offshore business,methanol carrier, chemical tankers, product tankers, car carriers, ferries, RORO ships,and logistics. MOL’s activities are truly borderless, based on the operation of one of theworld’s largest merchant fleets, backed by expertise and technology developedthroughout our over 130-year history.
