Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French designer of maritime liquefied natural gas storage tanks, has signed a global Technical Services Agreement with Qatar Gas Transport Co., also known as Nakilat.
GTT said the agreement would provide GTT’s technical support for Nakilat for maintenance and operational support for 26 of its vessels.
The 26 Nakilat ships are equipped with GTT storage tanks, either the Mark III technology or the No. 96 tanks.
This agreement includes GTT on-site technical assistance for inspection, maintenance, repairs, operations and engineering services.
Nakilat will also benefit from access to the HEARS emergency hotline, which enables ship-owners and their crews to contact GTT’s experts 24/7 to respond to operational issues.
“We welcome the signature of this agreement with our partner Nakilat, which owns and operates a large fleet of vessels equipped with our membrane technology,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.
“Our tailor-made support services, adapted to our customers’ requirements, allow us to guarantee maximum efficiency and safety for vessels in operation,” stated Berterottière.
In its full-year earnings Nakilat recently posted consolidated net profits of 1.35 billion Qatari rials ($372 million), an increase of 16.7 percent compared with 1.16Bln rials earned in 2020.
During 2021, the Covid-19 global pandemic continued to create very challenging and volatile conditions across the global shipping industry.
However, with long-term strategies in place, Nakilat managed to post annual revenues of 4.14Bln rials ($1.14Bln), a rise of 3.1 percent.
Nakilat at the start of 2022 also teamed up with the American Bureau of Shipping, the US classification society, to develop a decarbonization strategy.
Nakilat’s project team worked closely with ABS sustainability specialists to map out decarbonization pathways for the company’s overall fleet of 69 LNG carriers and four Very Large Gas Carriers.
In addition to this partnership with ABS, Nakilat was also leading a working group with its joint venture partners to ensure global fleet operations meet with emissions targets under regulations passed by the International Maritime Organization.
