Total & MOL Charter First LNG Bunker Vessel To Operate In France
A long term charter has been signed by Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) for the second large LNG bunker vessel which is scheduled to be delivered in 2021 and will be situated in the Marseille-Fos area, France.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China will construct the bunker vessel. The length of the ship will be 135 meters and will have a capacity of 18,600m³. Mark III membrane container system made by a French company, GTT will be installed in the vessel.
The vessel is particularly designed to supply LNG bunker to a variety of vessels like containerships, tankers, ferries and large cruise ships in the Mediterranean region.
By making use of LNG as propulsion fuel and including a full re-liquefaction of the boil off gas it will fulfill the technical and environmental standards.
The vessel will be jointly operated by MOL and Gazocean which is Marseille based company under the French flag.
Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Managing Director of TMFGS, declared: “ We are proud to launch with MOL the first large LNG bunkering vessel in France. LNG is the best available alternative to reduce shipping environmental footprint, as it significantly improves air quality and strongly contributes to greenhouse gases reduction. With this agreement we reaffirm today our positive contribution to a sustainable shipping industry and our commitment to offer our customers a comprehensive network of supply for this clean marine fuel.”
Kenta Matsuzaka, MOL Managing Executive Officer, said: “This is the second LNG bunker vessel for Total, and we are extremely honoured that the company has selected us as a partner. We believe this project will further solidify our relationship. In recent years, the role of LNG has changed enormously. LNG of course, serves as a clean energy source, and we expect to see wider use for it as a vessel fuel, so we anticipate significant growth in the future. At MOL, we take a proactive stance in the LNG fuel business and will contribute to achieving global UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through this project.”
Reference: total
