Port of Rotterdam: shipping sector embracing LNG as fuel

Port of Rotterdam noted that the liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel is gaining in popularity in the shipping sector.

On Thursday, the port hosted a bunkering operation with Total’s Gas Agility delivering chilled fuel to the world’s largest LNG-powered containership CMA CGM Jacques Saade.

Gas Agility, the world’s largest bunkering vessels supplied 18,000 cubic meters of LNG to the ultra-large container vessel in a 16-hour operation.

Port of Rotterdam noted that Gas Agility was built especially to supply ULCVs (Ultra Large Container Vessels) like Jacques Saade with LNG while they are loading or unloading their cargo.

A total of nine LNG bunker vessels operate in Rotterdam’s port area, of which three can be found working there on a permanent basis.

LNG is becoming increasingly popular as a transport fuel in the shipping sector, the Port of Rotterdam Authority said.

“Like CMA CGM, we support the transition from heavy fuel oil to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transport fuel for shipping. At present, LNG is the cleanest fuel that can be considered scalable and affordable for this ship category. Moreover, the introduction of these new LNG-powered vessels supports the Port Authority’s ambition to serve as a key hub in the import, export, storage and bunkering of LNG“, Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port Authority said.

He noted that CMA CGM’s nine-strong fleet will be bunkering some 300,000 cubic meters of LNG in Rotterdam.

Jacques Saade is the first LNG-powered container vessel with a capacity of over 23,000-TEU containers. CMA CGM has ordered another eight of these ULCVs at the Chinese Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding yard, a unit of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

By 2022, the shipping company plans to have a fleet of no fewer than 26 LNG-powered vessels in service including nine 23,000-TEU ships, eleven 15,000-TEU ships and six 14,000-TEU ships.