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Ship Bunkering News

13 Mar 2024

Trafigura, Mercuria Switch Bunkering to Mauritius Amid Attacks

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

With more ships heading around the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks in the Red Sea region and a shutdown in their main South African bunkering operations, Mercuria and Trafigura have started refuelling services in Mauritius, four sources said.The two trading houses have opened operations in Port Louis to compensate for the shutdown at South Africa's Algoa Bay which stems from a tax dispute with authorities, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.Algoa Bay is South Africa's


14 Nov 2023

Japan: LNG-Powered Coal Carrier Starts Operation

Credit: MOL

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Kyuden) said Tuesday that a Panamax coal carrier that uses low-environmental-impact LNG as its main fuel was delivered and started operation on November 14.In a naming and delivery ceremony held at the Imari Shipyard and Works of Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the new vessel was named Reimei.The Reimei, a large LNG-fueled coal carrier, is operated by MOL to transport coal from overseas to Kyuden's coal-fired thermal power plants.Credit: MOLCompared to conventional marine fuel


06 Nov 2023

Study Highlights Ammonia Bunkering Potential of Australia’s Pilbara

Source: Pilbara Ports

A feasibility study has highlighted the potential for using clean ammonia to refuel ships, particularly iron ore carriers, visiting the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The study, commissioned by Yara Clean Ammonia (Yara) and Pilbara Ports, was undertaken by Lloyd's Register, and looked at key areas including the estimated demand and likely availability of ammonia as a replacement shipping fuel. The potential risks and regulatory requirements for ammonia bunkering at the ports


28 Sep 2023

Joint Venture to Develop First LNG Ship Bunkering Hub in US Gulf

Credit: Jonathan Saul/AdobeStock

A joint venture is developing the first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility for ships in the U.S. Gulf amid efforts by the maritime industry to find cleaner fuel solutions, executives said on Thursday.Shipping, which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation, is exploring a number of other technologies including ammonia, methanol and wind in an effort to move away from dirtier bunker fuel.

09 Aug 2023

Axpo Orders LNG Bunkering Vessel Capable of Ship-To-Truck Operations

© evannovostro / Adobe Stock

Italian energy company Axpo has signed a 10-year deal to charter an LNG bunkering vessel which is expected to begin operations in 2025.The agreement has been signed with Italy’s Gas and Heat SpA and the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard. The vessel will be built in the San Giorgio’s shipyard in Piombino, Italy, and will have a capacity of up to 7,500 cubic metres. In the future, the ship could also transport bio-LNG and ammonia. Active off the coast of Naples, the vessel will provide ship-to-ship bunkering as well as ship-to-truck transfer of LNG to tanker trucks onshore


20 Jul 2023

LNG Barge Clean Canaveral Bunkers First Cargo Ship in Canaveral

LNG bunker barge transferring LNG to Damia Desgagnés at Port Canaveral (Photo: JAX LNG)

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge Clean Canaveral completed its first barge-to-ship bunkering of a cargo vessel at Port Canaveral’s South Cargo Berth 4. JAX LNG, along with Polaris New Energy, handled the LNG refueling of the Damia Desgagnés on the ship’s inaugural call to Port Canaveral. The asphalt/bitumen tanker Damia Desgagnés completed her discharge of cargo and then JAX LNG proceeded with Desgagnés’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of LNG. The seafarers safely transferred approximately 400 cubic meters of LNG from North America’s largest LNG bunker barge


28 Jun 2023

LR Releases Recommendations for Ammonia-Fueled Vessels

Source: LR

A joint study into ammonia safety onboard ships undertaken by the Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), has found that a range of mitigation methods, from ship design to crew training and operations, are required to keep toxicity risks to crew within published tolerable limits.‘Recommendations for Design and Operation of Ammonia-Fuelled Vessels based on Multi-disciplinary Risk Analysis' presents a study of the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures in three ammonia-fueled vessels – a container ship


21 Jun 2023

MOL Trials BioLNG

Source: MOL

MOL and partners have completed a trial of bioLNG (liquefied bio-methane or LBM) derived from cattle manure on the domestic LNG fueled general cargo vessel Ise Mirai.Teaming up on the project with MOL were Air Water Inc., Techno Chubu Company, Kyoudou Kaiun,The trial, conducted in Ise Bay, was Japan's first bunkering of carbon-neutral LBM derived from biomass. The vessel was jointly built by MOL Coastal Shipping, Techno Chubu, and Kyoudou Kaiun, and was delivered in December 2020.

10 May 2023

Toyota Tsusho Establishes Biofuel Supply in Japan

The car carrier Toyofuji Maru (Toyofuji Shipping) and bunkering ship Shozan (Toyota Tsusho)

Toyota Tsusho and subsidiary Toyotsu Energy have launched Japan's first continuous, commercial supply of biodiesel blended fuel at the Port of Nagoya.Toyotsu Energy is supplying Toyofuji Shipping's car carrier Toyofuji Maru after earlier conducting ship-to-ship bunkering trials.Toyota Tsusho, in cooperation with Daiseki Eco. Solution, is procuring waste cooking oil collected from the employee cafeterias and other facilities of Toyota Group and Toyota Tsusho Group companies, which


01 May 2023

US Gulf Coast’s First Barge-to-ship Methanol Bunkering Completed

Stena Prosperous (Photo: Proman Stena Bulk)

Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, announced the successful completion of the first ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the U.S. Gulf Coast.The JV tankers Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous were refueled with methanol via barge while discharging clean petroleum products at a terminal in the Port of Houston in the first week of April.Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408MT of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refueled with 1,203MT during the operation.

27 Mar 2023

ZIM and Shell Complete First LNG Bunkering in Jamaican Waters

(Photo: ZIM)

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. and Shell International Petroleum Company Limited announced the successful bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER containership with liquefied natural gas (LNG), marking the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaican waters. The vessel was bunkered at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) on March 26, 2023. The ZIM SAMMY OFER is the first in a series of ten 15,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships which ZIM plans to deploy on their ZCP trade line.

28 Feb 2023

Shell and Hapag-Lloyd Ink LNG Supply Deal

© olrat / Adobe Stock

German container liner Hapag-Lloyd announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Shell to bunker its ultra large dual-fuel containerships with liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Port of Rotterdam.LNG bunkering for these 12 new 23,500+ TEU vessels is expected to start during the second half of 2023 as the ships deploy on Europe-Far East routes, calling ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Singapor, and Shanghai.Hapag-Lloyd, which aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045


25 Jan 2023

Methanol Bunkering Carried Out in the Port of Gothenburg

Methanol bunkering in progress. The bunker vessel Stolt Sandpiper alongside the Stena Germanica at Stena Line's Germany terminal in the Port of Gothenburg. Photo: Gothenburg Port Authority.

A milestone for the use of methanol as a marine fuel was achieved in the Port of Gothenburg on Monday, as methanol propelled vessel Stena Germanica was the first non-tanker vessel in the world to be bunkered with methanol ship to ship.“This is a door-opening demonstration, proving that there is a feasible way to handle ship to ship methanol bunkering. This strengthens our position as a bunker hub and is also showcasing for other ports that this can be done in a safe and efficient way – not only here, but in other ports around the world as well.

23 Aug 2022

Azane Ammonia Bunkering Station Gets AIP from DNV

(Image: Azane Fuel Solutions)

Azane Fuel Solutions said its ammonia ship bunkering and loading station has earned approval in principle from classification society DNV.The AIP marks a step in further verifying readiness for the commercialization of Azane’s proprietary ammonia bunkering terminals prior to commencing construction. DNV’s AIP is an independent assessment of a concept within an agreed requirement framework, confirming the feasibility and soundness of a design with no obstacles that would prevent the concept from being realized.Last year the Azane shareholders


16 Aug 2022

African Penguins Endangered by Ship Bunkering Noise in Algoa Bay, Study Finds

©Lennart/AdobeStock

The already endangered African penguin is being driven away from its natural habitat off the east coast of South Africa due to noise from ship refueling, a scientific study has found.The number of African penguins on St Croix island in Algoa Bay, once the world's largest breeding colony of the birds, has plummeted since South Africa started to allow ships in the area to refuel at sea, a process known as bunkering, six years ago, the study found.Situated in a busy shipping lane along South Africa's east coast


24 Jan 2022

First Ship-to-Containership LNG Bunkering Ops in Port of Marseille Fos’

Gas Vitality is 135 meters long and a GTT Mark III membrane vessel. Photo courtesy TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies and CMA CGM launched Marseilles’ inaugural ship-to-containership Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation in the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France.CMA CGM BALI, a 15,000 TEU LNG-powered containership is deployed on the MEX 1service, connecting Asia and South Europe. The ship was refuelled by TotalEnergies’ Gas Vitality, the first LNG bunker vessel based in France, with around 6,000 cu. m. of LNG, by means of a ship-to-ship transfer alongside the Eurofos container terminal, while the containership carried out cargo operations simultaneously.

20 Dec 2021

New Marine Terminal Commissioned in Houston

(Photo: Vopak)

Vopak Moda Houston, LLC announced that its marine terminal in the Port of Houston is fully operational. Formed in 2016, Vopak Moda Houston is a joint venture between Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream. Located in Houston’s refining and petrochemical corridor and in close proximity to multiple ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen pipelines, Vopak Moda Houston is the first greenfield terminal development in the Port of Houston in more than a decade.Designed to handle very large gas carriers (VLGC)


26 Oct 2021

France’s First LNG Bunker Vessel Named

Credit: MOL

The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been named “Gas Vitality”, at a ceremony held today at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China. The 18,600-m³ newbuild bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. Classed by Bureau Veritas and operated by V.Ships France under the French flag, the Gas Vitality will enter operational service in December 2021 and be based in the Port of Marseille- Fos


13 May 2021

World's First Barge-to-Ship Methanol Bunkering Carried out in Rotterdam

Image courtesy NYK Line

On May 10, 2021, the methanol-dual fueled chemical tanker Takaroa Sun, owned by NYK Bulkship (Asia) Pte. Ltd. participated in what is touted as the world’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of methanol fuel. The bunkering of methanol fuel was conducted in Rotterdam port under the leadership of the charterer Waterfront Shipping Company Limited, together with the cooperation of the Port of Rotterdam, Royal Vopak N.V., and TankMatch B.V.Methanol fuel produces up to 15% less carbon emissions during combustion than conventional fuel oil and reduces sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by approximately 99%.

24 Dec 2020

VIDEO: Gazprom Neft's New LNG-Bunkering Vessel Hits the Water

Russia’s first cargo and passenger ship-to-ship LNG-bunkering vessel has been set afloat, Gazprom Neft has informed.“Ship-to-ship” bunkering involves ships being refueled directly from the deck of a specialist bunkering vessel. This technology means bunkering can be undertaken when ships are moored or docked at a pier.The company said Wednesday that the shipyard specialists had completed the main stage in the vessel’s construction, including assembling the hull and installing LNG fuel tanks and other auxiliary systems, in record time.

19 Dec 2020

Great Ships of 2020: MOL Gas Agility, The world’s largest LNG Bunkering Vessel

Photo: MOL

Gas Agility is the world largest LNG bunkering vessel with 18,600 cu. m. MARKIII-flex type membrane tanks built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. in China. The vessel is equipped with four sets of 8L20DF engines for electric propulsion and two sets of azimuth thrusters and a bow thruster for navigation. A Harmonized Control system for the thrusters is a key technlolgy for maneuvering safely and efficiently for berthing, unberthing, position-keeping and approach


04 Nov 2020

Sakura Leader: New LNG-fueled Pure Car Carrier Enters Service

LNG-fueled PCC "SAKURA LEADER". Photo Courtesy Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. completed installation of the first unit of an LNG (liquefied natural gas) fuel gas supply system (FGSS) for marine dual fuel engines, delivered in November last year, on the pure car carrier (PCC) built by Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The first LNG-fueled PCC built in Japan was delivered to Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha on October 28, 2020, and has entered service. During the construction period after the delivery of the FGSS


13 Oct 2020

US Shipyards See Big Business Shifts

The second of three vessels for New York City’s Staten Island Ferry was launched by Eastern Shipbuilding this summer. (Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

The American shipbuilding scene, filled with participants constructing all manner of vessels, has been navigating through stormy times (lately, yards along the Gulf Coast have literally been dealing with storms). The orders for newbuild, repair and conversion projects continue to flow in—albeit at a reduced pace—and the boats and ships go down the ways into the water, but the overall panorama has seen tremendous sea changes as the business has shifted.Maritime businesses worldwide have been grappling with currents both internal and external.

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