US shipping firm Seaboard Marine, a part of Seaboard, has added the first LNG-powered vessel to its fleet, while it also completed the first bunkering operation in PortMiami.
The vessel in question is the 1,036-teu feeder container vessel, Seaboard Blue, previously known as ElbBLUE.
The 2010-built vessel was retrofitted in 2017 and was the world’s first containership converted from conventional diesel propulsion to LNG.
Seaboard Marine did not provide any additional information regarding the acquisition of the ship.
According to VesselsValue data, Seaboard Marine bought the LNG dual-fuel containership from Germany’s Elbdeich Reederei last year.
The data suggests that the vessel is currently worth about $12.6 million.
Elbdeich, Unifeeder, and MAN previously conducted tests with the ship’s propulsion using a blend of synthetic natural gas and LNG.
The vessel has a MAN 51/60DF four-stroke engine.
First bunkering op
According to Seaboard Marine, the vessel will be part of its North Central America service.
The containership received LNG fuel from the Shell-chartered Q-LNG 4000 bunker barge during a bunkering operation which took place on March 12 in PortMiami.
Seaboard Marine said this is the first time in PortMiami’s history that a cargo vessel received LNG fuel at the port.
The containership bunkered LNG prior to its inaugural southbound sailing to Honduras and Guatemala.
Eddie Gonzalez, president and CEO of Seaboard Marine, said in the statement that the vessel “is a key new component to Seaboard’s fleet transformation.”
“The recent purchase of this LNG-powered ship not only demonstrates Seaboard Marine’s ongoing commitment to sustainability but also to providing reliable service to our customers,” he said.