The company FueLNG has placed an order for a US$37.5M, 7,500 m3 gas carrier that will be Singapore’s and southeast Asia’s first LNG Bunker Vessel (LNGBV).
The ship has been planned to be built at the Keppel Singmarine yard at Nantong in China and, upon completion in Q3 2020, will utilise the Singapore LNG terminal as its base of operations and source of cargo.
Collaborative partnership
The company announced the newbuilding contract the day after the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed it will provide both FueLNG and Pavilion Gas with funding to construct LNG bunkering vessels. Each company has been awarded US$2.25M to put toward constructing an LNGBV as part of a drive to promote ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering in Singapore.
FueLNG is a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) and Shell Eastern Petroleum.
LNGBV specs
The new bunker vessel will be built to the proprietary MTD 7500U LNG design developed by Keppel O&M’s ship design and development arm, Marine Technology Development.
It is touted to carry out bunkering operations without tug assistance due to its high degree of manoeuvrability. The dual-fuel vessel’s propulsion and power management systems have been designed to ensure that fuel consumption, whether LNG or marine diesel oil, is kept to a minimum. Another notable feature is the LNGBV’s extended flat sides, a configuration which will enable the bunkering of a wide range of ships.
FueLNG’s LNGBV construction contract is the latest development in an evolving relationship with MPA, as the port authority for the world’s busiest oil bunkering location seeks to foster LNG fuelling. The link-up kicked off in 2016 when MPA issued LNG bunker supplier licenses to FueLNG and Temasek Holdings-backed Pavilion Gas.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: LNG World Shipping
