Singapore gets its 1st LNG bunkering vessel

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) has delivered Singapore’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel, FueLNG Bellina, to FueLNG, a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine and Shell Eastern Petroleum.

Built in Keppel O&M’s Nantong shipyard, FueLNG Bellina is the second LNG bunkering vessel and fifth dual-fuel vessel delivered by Keppel O&M.

The vessel will provide LNG bunker to LNG-powered vessels that call at the Port of Singapore, thus facilitating the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel and the growth of Singapore as a global LNG bunkering hub.

As reported earlier, the vessel’s first contracts will be to provide ship-to-ship LNG bunkering to the Shell-chartered tankers and for one of Hapag Lloyd’s container vessels.

FueLNG will also provide LNG bunkering from Singapore’s first dedicated LNG bunkering facility scheduled to be built by Keppel O&M on its Floating Living Lab. Shell will be supplying the LNG to the facility when it becomes operational at the end of 2021.

Designed by Keppel O&M’s technology arm, Keppel Marine and Deepwater Technology (KMDTech), to its proprietary MTD 7500U LNG design, the vessel has a barge-like extended flat surface to provide bunker to a wide range of vessels.

The ship was named in October.

FueLNG Bellina is also the world’s first bunkering vessel with Smart Notation for its suite of digital services. Equipped with Keppel O&M’s proprietary VesselCare solutions, these smart functions enable remote monitoring and real-time support of vessel operations.

Specifications

• Designed with a barge-like extended flat surface to provide bunker to a wide range of vessels at heights ranging from 3m to 23m above water level
• Features two stern azimuth thrusters and one bow thruster enabling a high degree of manoeuvrability
• Filling rate range of 100-1000m³ of LNG per hour
• Harnesses boil-off gas as fuel for power generation and propulsion, thus reducing CO₂, particulate matter and NO_x emissions
• The entire bunkering process is monitored and executed on a digital platform