Titan bunkers Erik Thun’s new LNG-powered ship in Belgium

Dutch marine fuels supplier Titan has delivered LNG to the newbuild Thun Vettern, an LNG dual-fuel vessel owned by Swedish shipping company Erik Thun, in its first simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) bunkering in Ghent, Belgium.

The operation saw Titan’s Flexfueler 001 deliver 180 MT of LNG to Thun Vettern in the SIMOPS bunkering, eliminating the need for the ship to visit a layby location and enabling a faster turnaround in port.

“Using our Flexfueler bunker barges, we regularly facilitate SIMOPS to vessels in the ARA region and continue to work with stakeholders across the global value chain to increase access to safe and controlled operations,” Titan said in a social media update.

The operation marked the first time the newbuild vessel was bunkered in Northern Europe and Titan’s first time delivering at SeaTank terminal in Ghent, Belgium.

The LNG dual-fuel Thun Vettern is part of Erik Thun’s Vinga series designed for the intense and demanding trade in the North Sea and Scandinavia to meet the growing European demand for biofuels and renewable feedstocks.

The 17,999-dwt vessel was built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou and delivered in June 2024.

The vessels in the Vinga series all have dual-fuel capability, run on LNG/LBG or gasoil, and are fully equipped for shore power connection when available in ports.

According to Erik Thun, they are designed with a battery hybrid solution and several features that reduce fuel and energy consumption, resulting in extensively lowered emissions of CO2, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and hazardous particles.