First LNG dual-fuel chemical tanker wins Green Award certification

LNG dual-fuel tanker Tosca, owned by Germany-based shipping company GEFO, is the first chemical tanker in the maritime industry to be awarded the Green Award CO₂ label, according to the Green Award Foundation.

The LNG dual fuel tanker Tosca received the certification which means that the vessel is eligible for financial incentives for sustainable ships in ports worldwide.

Tosca is a three-year-old chemical tanker with a deadweight tonnage of 7,200 tonnes and a total cargo capacity of 8,000 cubic meters.

Built in September 2021 at the China Merchant Jinling Shipyard, the vessel has an overall length of 109.6 meters, a width of 18.4 meters and a maximum draft of 7.2 meters. It is powered by a 3,000 kW MAK 6M34DF dual-fuel diesel engine that can run on both LNG and marine diesel. The loading system consists of 16 completely separate stainless steel tanks. The vessel has ice class 1A and is equipped for ice navigation.

“This external validation emphasises the pioneering role of our fleet in developing commercially viable solutions as regulators catch up,” said Sven von Appen, CEO of the GEFO Shipping Group.

“Differentiation as a pioneer will be critical as the energy transition in the industry continues. This achievement not only places Tosca at the forefront of the specialty chemical tanker segment but also cements Tosca’s status as a trailblazer. The vessel was also the first chemical tanker in the 7,000 dwt range to run on LNG,” said von Appen.

“Tosca’s Green Award certification and Green Award CO₂ label promises to drive further incentives and support for voluntary impact industry wide,” added Jan Fransen, Executive Director at Green Award Foundation adding that all 18 deep sea vessels in the GEFO fleet have Green Award certification.

With a fleet of 150 vessels (both inland and ocean-going), of which 92 are Green Award certified, GEFO has made significant investments in emission-reducing technologies, and Tosca’s CO₂ label is an important milestone in the company’s sustainability efforts. As the Tosca is largely powered by LNG, the ship consistently achieves significantly lower carbon emissions, according to the company.

GEFO’s other projects involve the use of green fuels such as green methanol, ammonia or hydrogen for alternative propulsion systems of inland barges or deep-sea vessels and the role of a logistics service provider to transport these new alternative energy sources within the whole European inland barging and shortsea region.

Recently, the company signed up for ten new 3,850 dwt tankers at Xiangyu shipyard in Nantong, China. The goal is to have a carbon-neutral fleet by 2045 by gradually replacing conventional fuels with alternative fuels.