Shell starts fueling Hapag-Lloyd’s LNG-powered giants in Rotterdam

Shell has started delivering liquefied natural gas to Hapag-Lloyd’s giant LNG-powered containerships in the Dutch port of Rotterdam under a deal signed earlier this year.

According to a social media post by Shell’s head of downstream LNG, Tahir Faruqui, Shell has in September completed the first bunkering of the 23,500-teu Berlin Express and its sister ship Manilla Express in Rotterdam.

Shell delivered LNG fuel to Berlin Express with the 3000-cbm bunkering barge LNG London.

Launched in July 2019, Shell charters this barge from a joint venture consisting of Belgium’s Victrol and French Sogestran and loads LNG at the Gate import terminal in Rotterdam.

In February this year, the UK-based LNG giant agreed to bunker Hapag-Lloyd’s 12 LNG-powered containerships in the port of Rotterdam.

Previously, the two firms collaborated on LNG bunkering of Brussels Express, the world’s first large container ship that was converted to LNG propulsion.

Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd first ordered six LNG dual-fuel containerships from Hanwha Ocean, previously known as DSME, in 2020, and it added six more sister vessels in 2021. The orders have a total price tag of about $2 billion.

The shipping firm plans to take delivery of all of these vessels in 2023 and 2024.

They are about 400 meters long and 61 meters wide and feature MAN ME-GI main engines.

Hapag-Lloyd took delivery of the first LNG dual-fuel newbuild, Berlin Express, on June 13 and the second vessel, Manila Express, on August 3.

In July, Berlin Express completed its first LNG bunkering operation in China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port.

Berlin Express arrived at its home port Hamburg last week and Hapag-Lloyd said it will christen the LNG-powered ship on October 2 in the German port.

Hapag-Lloyd said this is the largest containership ever to sail under German flag.

Most Popular

South Korea’s Posco says first LNG carrier to start ops in H2

Posco International, a unit of South Korean steel producer Posco, plans to start shipping LNG with its first dedicated LNG carrier in the second half of this year.

Canada’s Cedar LNG names FLNG

Canada’s Cedar LNG, a joint venture of Canada’s Pembina Pipeline and the Haisla Nation, has picked a name for its floating LNG facility, which will be located in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation, on Canada’s West Coast.

Wilhelmshaven LNG jetty ready to welcome Excelerate’s FSRU

Dutch marine contractor Van Oord announced on Monday it had completed the new jetty for its client, state-owned LNG...

More News Like This

Shell shareholders re-elect CEO Wael Sawan

Wael Sawan will continue to lead London-based LNG giant Shell following shareholder voting at the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday.

Singapore’s FueLNG wraps up 400th STS bunkering operation

Singapore’s FueLNG, a joint venture consisting of Shell and Seatrium, has completed its 400th ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation. FuelLNG delivered LNG to BYD Shenzen, which is said to be the world’s largest LNG-fueled car carrier.

Peru LNG terminal shipped three cargoes in April

Peru LNG’s liquefaction plant at Pampa Melchorita has shipped three liquefied natural gas cargoes in April due to restrictions on the transportation system, according to operator Hunt Oil.

CFO: Shell on track to ship first LNG Canada cargo in middle of 2025

LNG giant Shell remains on track to deliver the first liquefied natural gas cargo from its LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat in the middle of this year, according to Shell's finance chief, Sinead Gorman.