Basalt adds another LNG carrier to its fleet

“The addition of Celsius Galapagos brings the Vanadis platform to a total of four vessels, and 11 in total across Basalt’s two LNG portfolios, Vanadis and Freyja, demonstrating the continued delivery of Basalt’s strategy to add further scale to its fleet,” the company said in a social media post.

Basalt noted that South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries delivered the vessel last month.

The ME-GA LNG carrier is employed on a long-term, fixed time charter to a “leading, investment-grade counterparty active within the production, sale, and distribution of LNG.”

According to VesselsValue data, the LNG carrier is on charter to US LNG exporting giant Cheniere.

Moreover, the vessel will be managed and operated by Celsius Shipping, Basalt’s existing operating partner across its Vanadis and Freyja LNG portfolios.

Basalt added that it expects to continue to grow the Vanadis LNG fleet over the coming months.

In February of this year, Basalt joined forces with Celsius Shipping on a newbuild LNG carrier that the latter had ordered at Samsung Heavy.

This is the 21st 180,000-cbm LNG carrier for Celsius Shipping.

It is expected to be delivered during 2027 and will be employed on a long-term, fixed time charter to Japan’s LNG trader and power firm Jera.

In August 2024, Basalt announced an agreement to acquire two modern operational LNG carriers, seeding Vanadis LNG, a portfolio of LNG vessels.

The vessels in question are the 2020-built Celisus Copenhagen and the 2021-built Celisus Carolina.