World’s largest LNG bunker vessel named in Rotterdam

The world’s largest LNG bunker vessel, Gas Agility, has been officially named at a ceremony held on Friday in Rotterdam.

The 18,600-m³ GTT Mark III Flex membrane vessel is owned by Emerald Green Maritime Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), and is chartered by Total’s affiliate Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS).

TMFGS and MOL signed the Time Charter Party for the LNG bunkering vessel in February 2018.

Chinese shipbuilder HudongZhonghua Shipbuilding started building the vessel back in November 2018 and delivered it in April 2020.

“Gas Agility’s arrival in Rotterdam marks the culmination of 3 years of dedicated work with MOL and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, to plan, build and create a major development in global marine LNG fuel supply,” said Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Managing Director of Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions.

“It is a clear demonstration of our ongoing drive to develop key logistical LNG infrastructures in the main bunkering hubs around the world, helping the shipping industry make the move to a more sustainable fuel solution,” he added.

The vessel features GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system and Wartsila’s dual-fuel engine. The newbuilding arrived in Rotterdam last month.

“The transition from heavy fuel oil to LNG is competitive, environmentally efficient and an immediately available solution for maritime transportation. By providing the capacity to deliver LNG as a marine fuel, this partnership will be the leader in transition to a more fuel-efficient industry,” said Takeshi Hashimoto, Executive Vice President of MOL.

Among the ship’s’ expected clients will be CMA CGM’s ultra large LNG-powered containerships currently under construction in China.

In December 2019, TMFGS and MOL signed a long-term charter contract for a second large LNG bunker vessel, to be delivered in 2021.

The ship will be positioned in the Marseille-Fos area in France to supply LNG as a marine fuel within the Mediterranean area.