Oct 28 (LNGJ) - French energy major Total has chartered four Aframax-type tankers equipped with liquified natural gas propulsion. “These vessels, each with a capacity of 110,000 tons of crude oil or refined products, will be delivered in 2023 and will join the time-chartered fleet of Total,” said the company. The first two vessels will be chartered from shipowner Hafnia and the remaining two from Viken Shipping.
The vessels have been designed with the most efficient LNG propulsion technologies to reduce emissions. “This contract follows a similar one, signed earlier this year, for two LNG-powered Very Large Crude Carriers, to be delivered in 2022,” said Luc Gillet, Senior Vice President of Shipping at Total. “LNG as a marine fuel remains the best and immediately available solution to reduce the carbon footprint of our shipping,” Gillet stated.
A group of the world’s largest energy and commodities companies, including major LNG cargo market participants Royal Dutch Shell and Total as well as the trading firms Gunvor and Trafigura have founded the Sea Cargo Charter to disclose the climate-change alignments of their own shipping activities.
French energy major Total said it signed a pioneering agreement to charter its first two Very Large Crude Carrier-type oil tankers equipped with liquefied natural gas propulsion.