Gas Vitality marks 100th LNG bunkering operation

The Gas Vitality liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel marked the beginning of the New Year with the completion of its 100th bunkering operation.

The 18,600m3 LNG bunker vessel carried out simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) for LNG bunkering, transferring 8,000 m3 of LNG to the MSC Freya, an MSC containership with a capacity of 15,000 TEUs at the Port of Marseille-Fos in Southern France. Concurrently, the receiving vessel performed cargo handling operations.

Gas Vitality is owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), chartered by TotalEnergies and managed by V.Ships France. Operational since December 2021, it is based in the Port of Marseille-Fos, Southern France, and serves the Mediterranean region.

“For Gas Vitality to reach this landmark bunkering milestone is testament to the professionalism of the vessel’s on-board team and the hard work and diligence of V.’s support network ashore. We look forward to safely and efficiently continuing to deliver LNG fuel as we help our customers on their sustainability journeys,” David Taylor, Managing Director, LNG at V.Group said.

“Gas Vitality was built and operates today on the strength of our collective technical expertise and knowledge with MOL and V.Ships France. Since the start of TotalEnergies’ LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, our chartered LNG bunker vessels based in Marseille and Rotterdam, respectively, the Gas Vitality and the Gas Agility, have conducted world-premier, large-scale operations across key bunker hubs with high levels of performance and safety records,” Louise Tricoire, Vice President, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels added.

“We will continue to enhance the growing bunker needs of different vessel types using alternative, lower-carbon and cleaner marine fuel options as the shipping industry’s decarbonization ambitions accelerate.”

The latest statistics from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform reveal a notable surge in the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a preferred marine fuel. In 2023, a total of 130 vessels running on LNG were ordered, making it the second most popular alternative fuel choice.

Although showing a decrease from the previous year’s figure of 222, DNV highlights that when considering newbuilds alone, LNG remains a leader in alternative marine fuels. The containers segment led the way with 48 orders, followed by car carriers (40) and tankers (30). Additionally, 2023 marked a significant milestone as LNG surpassed the 1000 vessel mark (excluding LNG carriers).