EMEA News
Total Marine Fuels Considering "Super-Sized" LNG Bunker Tanker: Reports
French bunker company Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMF), which styles itself as a major player in the emerging liquified natural gas (LNG) bunker market, is to commission a super-sized LNG bunker tanker to match that ambition.
Which company will take on the project has yet to be decided but, according to maritime news provider Tradewinds, the capacity of the new bunker vessel is expected to be in the region of 18,000 cubic metres.
The Coralius LNG bunker tanker, which started up operations earlier this year, has a 5,800 cu m capacity making any would-be Total vessel considerably larger.
As part of the agreement between French box line operator CMA CGM and TMF to supply the former's boxship newbuilds with LNG bunkers, TMF said it would at chartering a bunker tanker.
LNG is touted as an environmentally more attractive alternative to oil-derived fuel oil. However, the lack of a small-scale, gas-fuelling infrastructure is seen as a major drawback on its development. Small-scale delivery of LNG is established in the land market but not as yet for the sea market.
