Avenir takes delivery of its first LNG bunkering vessel

Avenir LNG has taken delivery of its first dual-purpose liquefied natural gas bunkering and supply vessel (LBV) Avenir Advantage.

The vessel was built by Keppel Offshore & Marine, at the Nantong Shipyard, Jiangsu Province, China.

Following her maiden voyage, Avenir Advantage will commence a three-year charter to Petronas LNG in Malaysia, becoming the first dedicated LBV in South East Asia, Avenir LNG, a joint venture consisting of Stolt-Nielsen, Hoegh LNG and Golar LNG, said in its statement.

The vessel will supply LNG to fuel ships operating in the region and deliver LNG directly to Petronas small-scale customers.

Milorad Doljanin, the company’s CEO, said, “The flexible design of our vessels allows us to support the development of the LNG bunker fuel market whilst adding to the global small-scale supply fleet; thereby supporting our strategic objective of supplying natural gas to otherwise inaccessible areas.”

Avenir LNG is currently building a fleet of six LBVs of 7,500 cbm and 20,000 cbm capacity and the HIGAS LNG import facility (10,800 cbm) in Sardinia Italy.

Avenir Advantage is the first of two ships ordered from Keppel Nantong Shipyard. Each vessel has a cargo capacity of 7,500 cbm across two Type C tanks.