LNG giant Shell and Israel’s shipping firm Zim have completed the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaica as part of their 10-year bunkering deal.
The two firms signed the bunkering deal worth more than $1 billion in August last year under which Shell will supply ten LNG-fueled vessels that Zim will deploy on the Asia to USEC trade.
Earlier this year, South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries delivered the first of ten 15,000-teu LNG-powered containerships to owner Seaspan, a unit of Atlas Corp, and charterer ZIM.
The 366 meters long ZIM Sammy Ofer completed a bunkering operation on March 2 in Yangshan port, Shanghai, and now Zim’s first chartered LNG-powered ship received LNG fuel at Kingston Freeport Terminal in Jamaica.
Zim said in a statement that the LNG bunkering took place on March 26, but the firm did not provide any additional information regarding the operation.
The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has supported Shell and ZIM in enabling LNG bunkering in Jamaica.
Zim claims this is the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaican waters.
Shell completed more than 1,000 STS LNG bunkering ops
David Arbel, Zim EVP COO, said in the statement that this LNG bunkering operation is a “great achievement” for all parties involved.
“This is the first vessel in our growing LNG-powered fleet that will enable Zim to be more carbon and cost efficient, thereby improving our competitive position, particularly on the strategic Asia to USEC trade, and allowing customers to reduce their carbon footprint,” he said.
Shell’s head of downstream LNG, Tahir Faruqui, said that this “landmark” bunkering expands Shell’s LNG bunkering network to the Caribbeans.
“With every new bunkering location added to our footprint, we are demonstrating LNG as the lowest-carbon fuel available at scale today, enabling the shipping sector to start decarbonizing,” he said.
Kingston, Jamaica is a new LNG bunkering location for Shell, expanding its global LNG bunkering network to 16 locations, across 11 countries.
“To date, Shell has already achieved over 1,000 safe ship-to-ship bunkering operations to its customers,” Faruqui said.
