Naming ceremony held of France’s first LNG bunker vessel
Published by Lydia Woellwarth,
Editor
LNG Industry,
The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been officially named Gas Vitality, at a ceremony held yesterday at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China.
The 18 600 m3 new-build bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and ship-builder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. All three parties first collaborated in 2018 to successfully design and build her sistership, the Gas Agility, which has been operating in the Port of Rotterdam since November 2020.
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, Southern France, to serve the Mediterranean region. The vessel will notably perform LNG bunkering services to CMA CGM’s LNG-fuelled containerships and MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships that call at the French port.
“We are delighted to officially name our second chartered LNG bunker vessel. The Gas Vitality is a testament of our commitment to provide our shipping customers with another major European hub to help meet their LNG bunkering needs,” said Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Vice-President Marine Fuels at TotalEnergies. “With the accelerated pace of transition to marine LNG we are witnessing among ship owners, it shows the shipping industry’s readiness to act today to curb their current greenhouse gas emissions, whilst paving the way for future, alternative fuel solutions such as bioLNG and other cryogenic fuels. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the value chain to expand the range of solutions that will help to decarbonise shipping,” he added.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all partners who have been involved in the planning, building and successful completion of the Gas Vitality. Gas Vitality is a significant milestone in our long-term partnership with TotalEnergies throughout the LNG supply chain and our commitment towards a decarbonised world. I am confident that our commitment to deliver LNG as a marine fuel, will accelerate the transition to LNG fuel as a competitive, environmentally efficient and immediately available solution for the maritime industry,” said Kenta Matsuzaka, Senior Managing Executive Officer at MOL.
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/27102021/naming-ceremony-held-of-frances-first-lng-bunker-vessel/
You might also like
Norton Rose Fulbright advises Tokyo Gas on sale of interests in four LNG projects
Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd and related entities on the sale of its minority interests in four Australian LNG projects.