Keppel Offshore & Marine, through its unit, Keppel Singmarine, secured a contract with Mitsui & Co to build Singapore’s first dual-fuel bunker tanker, to be owned and operated by Sinanju Tankers Holdings.
The tanker is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2019, Keppel O&M said.
As part of the contract, Sinanju and Mitsui AP have an option to order a second similar tanker to be exercised within six months from the effective date of the first contract.
Sinanju will receive co-funding of up to S$2 million ($1.5 million) to build the vessel as one of the recipients of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) LNG bunkering pilot programme (LBPP).
Speaking of the contract Abu Bakar , managing director (gas & specialised vessels), Keppel O&M, said, “The dual-fuel bunker tanker will be the third vessel to be built by Keppel Singmarine under the MPA LBPP and the seventh dual-fuel vessel built by Keppel O&M.”
The 7,990 DWT dual-fuel bunker tanker will be the first LNG-fueled bunkering vessel for Singapore and for Sinanju.
Built to the requirements of classification society, Bureau Veritas, the bunker tanker will deliver marine fuels to ocean-going vessels within local port limits.
“Sinanju aims to kick-start a green initiative for bunker tankers operating in Singapore; for our vessels to emit less air pollutants while boosting the local use of LNG as a bunker fuel. We will be in good stead when embarking in ship-to-ship LNG bunkering as our next milestone,” said Ju Kai Meng , managing director of Sinanju Tankers Holdings.
Taku Morimoto , CEO of Mitsui AP, added that Singapore is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by boosting the use of LNG as a marine fuel.