Avenir conducts its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering for TT-Line in Lübeck port

UK-based midstream LNG & bio-LNG company Avenir LNG has conducted its first ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation in Germany in the Port of Lübeck for ferry owner and operator TT-Line.

The operation took place on May 5 and included the transfer of the chilled fuel from Avenir Aspiration,  a dual-purpose, 7,500-cubic meters (cbm) LNG bunkering and supply vessel (LBV), LNG bunker vessel to RoPax ferry Nils Holgersson in the Port of Lübeck.

For this operation, Avenir teamed up with German LNG & bio-LNG distribution company GasCom-Equipment.

“I am pleased to see how efficiently and smoothly the joint preparations and the execution of the bunker operation were done. The cooperation proved again how important coupling expertise from different specialists is for establishing supply infrastructure for alternative fuels in German ports. We are glad to be part of that and are looking forward to more jointly executed bunker operations in the future,” said Norbert Scholz, Managing Director of GasCom.

After an initial LNG & bio-LNG bunker operation conducted with trucks by Avenir in 2022, this event marked another milestone as the first STS LNG bunker operation in a German port, the company revealed in a social media update.

Jan S., Commercial Director of LNG Bunkering for Avenir, stated: “Our first successful STS bunker operation in a German port for our long-standing and trusted customer TT-Line proves again our leading position in setting up alternative fuel supply chains. Utilizing our fleet of five LNG bunker vessels, Avenir continues to ensure the security of supply for our customers globally. As part of that ambition, we are seeing our network of customers and ports to service continuing to grow across Northwest Europe throughout 2024.”

The UK-based company recently placed an order for two 20,000 cbm LNG bunker and supply vessels at China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (SOE) in China, a subsidiary of CIMC Enric.

The new investment program marks the second phase of growth for the company, increasing the fleet by 40% and 80% in terms of total capacity.