Total Launches World's Largest LNG Bunkering Vessel

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday October 21, 2019

Total has launched its first mega-LNG bunkering vessel, in what is unquestionably a watershed moment for gas bunker advocates.

The yet-to-be-named ship will be delivered in 2020 and enter service in Northern Europe.

With a capacity of 18,600 cbm it will be he the world's largest LNG bunkering vessel by a considerable margin; it is more than twice the size of the current title-holder, Nauticor's 7,500 cbm capacity Kairos.

For perspective, Rotterdam's 2018 annual LNG bunker sales total was 9,500 mt.

Total's LNG bunkering vessel is a key part of CMA CGM’s plan to operate the world's first ultra-large containerships powered entirely by LNG. The carrier has nine such vessels entering service and in 2017 signed a 10 year, 300,000 mt per annum LNG bunker supply deal with Total.

“Developing infrastructure like this giant bunker vessel is essential to allow LNG to become a widely used marine fuel,” said Momar Nguer, President for Total Marketing & Services.

The vessel was built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding at their shipyard near Shanghai.