UK-based V.Ships, a unit of V.Group, said it has won a contract to manage the LNG-powered very large crude carrier, Eagle Valence, owned by Malaysia’s AET and chartered by France’s TotalEnergies.
Last month, AET and TotalEnergies named the vessel, one of the world’s first LNG dual-fuel VLCCs, at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, South Korea.
This is the first out of two dual-fuel VLCCs that will go on long-term charter to TotalEnergies. AET and TotalEnergies signed the deal in April 2020.
According to its AIS data provided by VesselsValue, the 300,000-dwt tanker left the Korean yard some three weeks ago. It was located in the Malacca Strait, off Malaysia, early on Tuesday.
V.Ships said it would manage the vessel via its office in Nantes but it did not provide any additional information regarding the contract.
The company already operates the 18,600-cbm LNG bunkering newbuild, Gas Vitality, chartered by TotalEnergies and owned by Japan’s MOL.
Earlier this year, this newbuild has completed the first ship-to-containership LNG bunkering operation in the French port of Marseille Fos.