LNG

Peninsula, the leading global independent marine energy supplier founded to fill a gap in the Gibraltar market for bunkering services, has successfully completed the supply of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel to a crude oil tanker owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping.

The delivery took place at the Gibraltar Port’s Western Anchorage.

Peninsula’s “Levante LNG”, the company’s first purpose-built 12,500 cubic metres capacity LNG bunkering vessel, supplied the EPS Suezmax crude oil tanker, the “Starway”, with around 3,500 cubic metres of LNG.

“EPS vessels like the ‘Starway’ and her sister, the ‘Greenway’, the world’s first LNG fuelled Suezmax tanker, are paving the way for a lower carbon future,” said Nacho de Miguel, Peninsula’s Head of Alternative Fuels and Sustainability.

“Through our investment in assets like the ‘Levante LNG’ we can close the supply chain loop to give these vessels access to lower-carbon fuels in the world’s leading ports,” De Miguel stated.

“I want to thank EPS for partnering with Peninsula to help power them towards a more sustainable future,” he added.

The EPS General Manager of Operations, Captain Suraj Sundaresan, said Gibraltar was one of those ports that was making efforts to cater for vessels seeking alternative fuels like LNG.

“Peninsula bridges shipowners like us who are at the forefront of the industry’s energy transition, and Ports who are evolving to host alternative-fuel powered vessels,” explained Sundaresan.

“Our vision to lower emissions is mirrored in Peninsula’s desire to provide lower carbon options today. The availability of low-carbon fuel supply is incredibly important, he added.

“As the demand for alternative fuels towards decarbonisation increases, we rely on suppliers like Peninsula to help keep our state-of-the-art alternative-fuelled ships moving,” Sundaresan declared.

Peninsula’s “Levante LNG” bunker ship arrived at her Mediterranean home at the end of September and is now fully operational in the Strait of Gibraltar and the ports of the Western Mediterranean.

The bunkering company is also building its cruise ship portfolio after successfully supplying Royal Caribbean’s cruise liner “Silver Nova” with LNG fuel in another operation in Gibraltar in November.

KPI OceanConnect, the international maritime fuel provider, has cooperated with Dutch LNG bunkering player Titan Clean Energy to re-fuel a Pure Car and Truck Carrier for the first time at the northwest German port of Emden near the North Sea coast of East Frisia.

The PCTC vessel is named “Emden” after the port and is owned by SFL Corp., the Hamilton, Bermuda-based shipping company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

“The success of the operation performed by Titan with the collaboration of KPI OceanConnect and SFL, highlights the flexibility and efficiency of all parties, and their shared commitment to ensuring a smooth bunkering process,” said a statement.

The three companies said they collectively recognised LNG as “a crucial component” of the future fuel mix for the maritime industry.

China newbuild

The LNG dual-fuel PCTC was delivered in September 2023 from the Chinese shipbuilders Guangzhou Shipbuilding International Co.

The vessel has a total length of 200 metres is 38 metres at the beam and has a design draft of 8.6 metres and a speed of 19 knots. The “Emden” has 13 decks and can carry about 7,000 cars.

“We are incredibly proud of the trust displayed in us by a forward-thinking owner such as SFL, and delighted to have partnered with a world-class supplier, Titan, to complete this supply of 3,000 cubic metres of LNG,” said Jesper Sørensen, Global Head of Alternative Fuels at KPI OceanConnect.

“This significant achievement underscores KPI OceanConnect's unwavering commitment to supporting the growing role of LNG in the shipping industry's energy transition,” Sørensen added.

“The operation marks our inaugural LNG deal for a car carrier - testament to the company's dedication to advancing sustainability through partnerships up and down the supply chain,” stated Sørensen.

Michael Schaap, Commercial Director of Amsterdam-based Titan, noted that demand for LNG was rising and becoming a mainstream fuel since it is widely available and enables ship operators to reduce emissions now.

“This operation highlights our commitment to consistently serve our clients as a trustworthy provider of cleaner fuels and we look forward to continuing to enhance our LNG and bio-LNG bunkering capabilities as the market grows,” Schaap added.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, has received an order from a Chinese shipyard to design the cryogenic fuel tanks of 10 ultra-large containerships to be powered by LNG as part of the move to cleaner maritime fuel.