A unit of LNG giant Shell has completed the first operations with Crowley’s recently delivered LNG bunkering barge, Progress.
Last week, the 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering barge, the largest US Jones Act-compliant vessel of its kind, completed its first bunkering operation with the 15,000,teu, Zim Mount Vinson, which had simultaneous cargo operations in the Port of Savannah.
The vessel also completed a second bunkering this week with the 15,000-teu, CMA CGM Symi, according to a social media post by Shell Marine.
The Elba LNG plant that produced LNG for these operations also serves as a key LNG supply hub for many of Shell’s US bunkering locations, the company said.
“Connected to the US gas grid and several bio-methane plants, the ISCC-certified Elba plant is well-positioned to enable bio-LNG bunkering and help our customers meet their carbon intensity reduction requirements,” it said.
Last month, US shipping and logistics company Crowley took delivery of this bunkering barge from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The company and Shell NA LNG revealed this project in September 2021, and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding started work on the 126.8 meters long vessel in January 2021.
Shell’s unit took the barge on a long-term charter.
The company has a worldwide LNG bunkering network, including in the US.
In January 2021 Shell completed the first ship-to-ship bunkering operation using Q-LNG’s barge, Q-LNG 4000, in Florida.
Last year, Shell completed the first LNG bunkering operation in the Caribbean with the 18,000-cbm bunkering vessel, New Frontier 2.
Earlier this year, Shell expanded its global LNG bunkering network with the completion of its first operation in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium.