LNG giant Shell has added two more locations to its global LNG bunkering network as the number of LNG-powered vessels continues to grow.
The new LNG bunkering locations include Flushing and Antwerp and they joined Shell’s global’s LNG bunkering network in June, according to a social media post by Shell’s head of downstream LNG, Tahir Faruqui.
Faruqui said that Shell completed the first operations in Flushing with its customer Van Oord.
Dutch marine contractor Van Oord recently took delivery of its third and final LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredger, Vox Alexia, in Singapore.
With these two locations, Shell expanded its network to 19 locations across 12 countries, Faruqui said.
He also said in a separate post that Shell completed in June the first LNG bunkering of the 2023-built 15,000-teu MSC Kayley containership in Rotterdam.
Singapore’s Eastern Pacific Shipping ordered this LNG-powered vessel in 2019 at Hyundai Heavy and chartered it to MSC, VesselsValue data shows.
MSC is building a huge fleet of LNG-powered vessels in order to slash emissions and to comply with new IMO rules.
According to the latest data by classification society DNV, there are are now 411 LNG-powered ships in operation, while owners placed orders for 526 LNG-fueled vessels.
LNG-powered crude oil tankers and containerships lead the way with 62 and 53 in operation, respectively, while LNG-powered containerships account for a big part of the ordered vessels with 198 units.
More than 1,000 ops
Up to date, Shell completed more than 1,000 ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operations across 12 countries.
In March, Shell and Israel’s shipping firm Zim completed the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaica as part of their 10-year bunkering deal.
In addition, Singapore’s FueLNG, a joint venture consisting of Shell and Seatrium Offshore & Marine, announced last month that its second bunkering vessel finalized its first LNG bunkering operation.
Korea Line LNG, a unit of SM Group’s Korea Line, chartered this ship to FueLNG, which already owns Singapore’s first LNG bunkering ship, FueLNG Bellina.
Besides these two ships, Shell’s fleet consists of ten more bunkering vessels, including vessels on order, its website shows.