Monjasa has introduced the UAE’s first dedicated LNG bunker vessel (LBV), Green Zeebrugge (5000 m3), as a response to an increasing alternative fuels demand.
Monjasa’s move into LNG bunkering comes at a time where recent DNV data shows that there are now 1262 LNG-fuelled vessels of which 613 are trading with a further 649 on order – compared to just 62 LNG-fuelled vessels in 2015.
Monjasa chartered the Green Zeebrugge in Amsterdam in November, and she is now enroute UAE with estimated arrival in Dubai before the New Year.
Monjasa Group CEO, Anders Østergaard, said: “Monjasa’s role is to keep challenging the status quo and providing new market opportunities to shipowners who are increasingly looking for ways to decarbonise their vessels.
“Deploying the Green Zeebrugge is the first important step in introducing LNG as a new marine fuel option in the UAE. Looking ahead, continued close collaboration with our local maritime partners is crucial in further exploring new supply chains and positioning the UAE as a leading shipping hub in alternative fuels too.”
To establish a viable local LNG bunkering option, port authorities, energy companies and shipowners are currently working together with Monjasa to finalise the development of adequate LNG bunkering infrastructure.
Through this extended collaboration, Monjasa expects to offer a comprehensive fuel mix, including very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), marine gas oil (MGO), high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO), biofuels and LNG at UAE ports going forward.
Green Zeebrugge is expected to undergo safety and quality inspections by the local authorities before the New Year and supply Monjasa’s first ever LNG in January 2025.