LNG

Pavilion Energy, the Singapore-based LNG market participant, shipped its first termed small-scale LNG cargo to China under an agreement signed with Zhejiang Hangjiaxin Clean Energy.

Nimofast Brasil SA has signed a partnership agreement with the Norwegian company Kanfer Shipping AS to offer small and medium-scale LNG shipping, small-scale floating storage units (FSUs) and LNG bunkering to its customers in Brazil from 2025.

“The LNG vessels and LNG bunker ships will be loaded via the permanently based FSU at the Nimofast LNG import and distribution terminal in the state of Paraná,” said Kanfer.

Kanfer is one of the leading companies for small-scale LNG and gas solutions based in Norway.

Kanfer explained that its aim was to help stranded customers in emerging markets to efficiently access LNG through transport and storage and to provide clean and cost-effective bunkering infrastructure.

“We are very much looking forward to cooperating with Nimofast by using our patented technologies to improve both the availability and accessibility of LNG for the customers in Brazil as well as being cost efficient,” said Stig Hagen, Chief Executive of Kanfer.

LNG gap

“Kanfer’s small-scale solutions for sea transport, storage and bunkering create a virtual LNG pipeline, solving a critical gap in the LNG supply chain,” stated Hagen.

Nimofast is an LNG project development company with its roots in trading and is fully licensed and authorized by the Brazilian regulator, the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP), to import LNG to Brazil.

Nimofast recently announced that it secured enough LNG offtake volumes to justify a final investment decision via supply contracts with GNLink, a company controlled by asset manager Lorinvest, and with energy trading company Migratio Gas.

The terminal is expected to be operational in 2025.

“We noticed that many clients in Brazil, either require relatively small volumes of LNG, or do not have suitable port infrastructure to build or to justify their own LNG import terminal,” explained Nimofast President Ramon Reis.

Port drafts

“Via the partnership with Kanfer Shipping, we are able to offer and deliver LNG to any customer along the Brazilian coastline regardless of the requested volumes or port draft limitations,” he added.

“We also see LNG bunkering as a growth market to meet environmental and economic objectives in shipping,” stated Reis.

The third party in the venture is Maius GmbH, a Swiss structuring and project finance firm which is advising Nimofast on the structuring of its debt and equity, strategic partnerships and risk mitigation of the project.

“We congratulate Nimofast and the partners on achieving another important milestone that will contribute to the energy transition and security in Brazil,” said Stefan M. Rohmer, the Maius CEO.

“We are proud to be part of the team and to be the lead adviser for this privately-funded, market-leading project,” declared Rohmer.

Avenir LNG’s dual-purpose bunkering and supply vessel the 7,500 cubic metres capacity “Avenir Aspiration” has again called at the Higas terminal located on the Italian island of Sardinia as the start of commercial operations progress.

The Higas facility is a small-scale LNG import, storage and distribution facility in the port of Oristano in Sardinia.

Avenir LNG holds 80 percent of the equity in Higas and is working with established local partners Gas & Heat and CPL Concordia who each hold a 10 percent stake in the facility.

The “Avenir Aspiration” discharged the cargo and has now departed and was heading for Spain, according to shipping data.

The Higas terminal includes a jetty capable of receiving LNG vessels up to 20,000 cubic metres of capacity, an unloading arm, six horizontal cryogenic holding tanks of 1,500 cubic metres capacity each, two LNG truck-loading bays and a natural gas power generation system.

It has already started the sales and distribution of LNG truckloads to a number of customers.

Avenir itself is a joint venture owned by London-based Stolt-Nielsen and partners Höegh LNG and Golar LNG Ltd. The company's activities include building a fleet of small-scale LNG carriers.

Charter

Avenir LNG at the end of December 2021 announced it would charter one of its small-scale LNG carriers to Shell after it is delivered from a Chinese shipyard in 2022.

Avenir said it had entered into a Time Charter Party (TCP) with Shell North America LLC for the “Avenir Achievement”, a newbuild with 20,000 cubic metres capacity.

The supply vessel is expected to be delivered to Avenir in the second quarter of 2022 and the time charter to Shell is expected to begin at the start of 2023 for a period of three years and with an option to extend for up to five years.

This charter, including options, increases Avenir’s overall vessel charter revenues backlog to $81.0 million as of December 2021.

Avenir noted that the small carrier is equipped with boil-off gas reliquefication and simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) capabilities, “making her the world’s largest, most efficient and versatile LNG bunkering vessel” available.

Avenir LNG, a company owned by Norwegian shipping and infrastructure operators, said its newest 20,000 cubic metres capacity LNG bunkering vessel has been launched in China and it would be delivered later in 2021.

The “Avenir Allegiance” entered the water at the Zhoushan Changhong Sinopacific Shipyard Co. in China’s eastern Zheijang province.

“The vessel is scheduled to be delivered from the yard in the third quarter of this year and she will join the Avenir LNG fleet as the world’s largest LNG bunkering vessel,” said Avenir.

Avenir is a joint venture owned by London-based Norwegian shipping and storage company Stolt-Nielsen and its peer fleet owners and project companies, Höegh LNG and Golar LNG.

The company said that the “Avenir Allegiance” would be Cayman Island-flagged and is the fourth of six newbuilds delivered to Avenir.

Avenir’s first newbuild delivery, the “Avenir Advantage”, took place in October 2020 and will be followed by the “Avenir Accolade”, the “Avenir Aspiration”, the “Avenir Allegiance”, the “Avenir Ascension” and the “Avenir Achievement” during 2021.

“We are delighted to see the latest, and largest, vessel in the Avenir LNG fleet being successfully launched by our partners CIMC SOE,” said Peter Mackey, Chief Executive of Avenir LNG Limited.

“We look forward to taking delivery of the ‘Avenir Allegiance’ later this year,” he added.

Avenir CEO Mackey stated that as the largest LNG bunkering vessel in the world, the “Avenir Allegiance” was a clear demonstration of Avenir’s commitment to developing new LNG supply chains.

“She will play a critical role in helping the shipping industry to transition to LNG as a more environmentally sustainable fuel,” stated Mackey.

“The ‘Avenir Allegiance’ will operate as both an LNG bunkering vessel and an LNG supply vessel,’ explained the CEO.

“This highly flexible vessel underscores our strategy of simultaneously unlocking multiple new LNG markets with multi-functional assets.,” said Mackey.

Avenir is building up a fleet of LBVs vessels of between 7,500 cubic metres capacity and 20,000 cubic metres capacity.

Another of the LBVs, the “Avenir Advantage”, was delivered in November 2020 to the Future Horizon joint venture comprising Malaysia’s MISC Group and Avenir.

Additionally, Malaysian energy company Petronas has chartered the “Avenir Advantage” from Future Horizon for a period of three years.

Norwegian firm Stolt-Nielsen started up the small-scale LNG sector firm Avenir in 2015 and its two investors, Golar and Höegh, each have 22.5 percent of Avenir to Stolt-Nielsen’s 45 percent.

The experienced shipping partners of Avenir are aiming to build up the market in small-scale LNG supply to off-grid industry for power generation and transportation fuel, as well as providing infrastructure to support the development of LNG as a marine fuel.

Avenir additionally has an 80 percent stake in a small-scale LNG import project company Higas on the Italian island of Sardinia, while the local partners are Gas & Heat and CPL Concordia, each holding 10 percent of the Sardinia venture.

Russian natural gas company Novatek, the nation’s largest liquefied natural gas developer in the Arctic region, has also been building up the customer base of its small-scale Cryogas-Vysotsk plant on the Baltic Coast while making progress on assembling a shipping fleet for the Arctic LNG II project under construction on the Gydan Peninsula of northern Siberia.

Norwegian-listed company Stolt-Nielsen said its natural gas unit was still pursuing its small-scale liquefied natural gas projects through Avenir LNG, including the delivery of six small-scale carriers.

Stolt-Nielsen Gas is continuing to invest in opportunities in LNG shipping and distribution, said the company with offices in London in its business review just published of all its divisions.

Its assets currently include 45 percent of Avenir LNG, a 2.3 percent stake in Golar LNG and six small-scale LNG carriers newbuilds under construction.

“Avenir’s strategy is to source, ship, store, distribute and sell LNG to small-scale, stranded communities that do not have access to a natural gas grid,” said Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen, the Chief Executive of the Stolt-Nielsen group.

Two strategic partners joined SNG as investors in Avenir, Golar LNG Ltd and Höegh LNG, each taking a 22.5 percent stake with Stolt-Nielsen retaining 45 percent.

Avenir has four 7,500 cubic metres capacity LNG vessels and two 20,000 cubic metre capacity carriers on order as it also continues to develop its first LNG terminal on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Stolt-Nielsen has LNG in its portfolio along with its tanker, storage, containers and sea farm businesses.

The Norwegian company with a presence in worldwide locations has its ordinary shares listed on the Oslo stock exchange.

The company reiterated in the annual report that its small-scale carriers were still on track for delivery in 2020 and 2021. 

Keppel Marine of Singapore is scheduled to deliver two 7,500 cubic metre LNG vessels by mid-2020, from their affiliated yards in Nantong, China. 

In 2021, Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (SOE) will deliver two more 7,500 cubic metres capacity carriers as well as two with 20,000 cubic metres capacity from their yards, also in Nantong. 

Each of the ships is designed to perform safe ship-to-ship bunkering.

In October 2019, together with Malaysian shipping company, MISC Berhard, Avenir signed a term charter with Malaysia’s national oil and LNG production company Petronas.

The first 7,500 cubic metres capacity carrier will be based in Malaysia, enabling Petronas to provide bunkering to LNG-fueled vessels, plus transport services for small-scale terminals in the region. 

Avenir announced another a term charter in November 2019 with Golar Power to deliver LNG using the second 7,500 cubic metres capacity vessel to various ports in Brazil, as well as providing ship-to-ship bunkering. 

“Over the longer term, Avenir plans to develop new markets through small-scale LNG import solutions, invest in additional tonnage where necessary and expand its network of strategic bunkering locations,” said SNG.

The Stolt-Nielsen unit reported an operating loss of $4.1 million for 2019. 

“The losses were mainly attributable to costs related to the continued development of various small-scale LNG projects,” it added.

The company noted that during the fourth quarter of 2019, Stolt-Nielsen sold its investment in Avance Gas Holdings Ltd for $25.9 million. The $10.8 million gain on the sale was recorded to retained earnings.

The American Bureau of Shipping, the US classification society, said a small-scale LNG carrier, the world’s first such vessel to be fitted with an innovative cargo containment system based on IMO requirements for independent type A tanks, has been delivered to the shipping line from the Chinese shipbuilders.

Anthony Veder, the Dutch shipping line specializing in small-scale gas carriers, will take over the commercial management of five more Norgas ships from US-based financing and leasing company Gatx Corp., strengthening its fleet to 38 liquified natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and ethylene tankers.

Avenir LNG, a small-scale niche market joint venture involving Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, the shipping and storage group and its Norwegian peers, Hoegh LNG and Golar LNG, is now registered on the Oslo over-the-counter market after holding a private share placement.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French maritime liquefied natural gas storage tank technology owner, said it received an order from South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries on behalf of European shipowner Celsius Tankers of Denmark to equip its first newbuild LNG carriers.