Royal Dutch Shell’s first LNG bunker vessel named Cardissa has arrived in the port of Rotterdam to fuel ships with cleaner-burning marine fuel, the company informed.
The seaworthy bunker vessel was built at the STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Company yard in South Korea on behalf of Shell and is powered by Wärtsilä DF dual-fuel engines.
The ship will be used to deliver gas to LNG fuelled vessels in Northwest Europe.
The bunker vessel will make use of Gate’s LNG breakbulk terminal and jetty in the port of Rotterdam.
The LNG-powered vessel has the capacity to carry 6,500 m3 of LNG, and features an innovative transfer system, enabling it to use both large and small LNG terminals.
The new vessel was built in response to the increasing acceptance by the shipping industry of LNG as a marine fuel, especially amid stricter environmental regulations.
Separately, Shell also concluded a time charter agreement with Victrol NV and CFT for a bunkership with a capacity of 3,000 m3 LNG. The vessel will also be operating from Rotterdam and provides the company with additional flexibility to bunker a range of customers, including vessels operating on Europe’s inland waterways.
“LNG as a marine fuel has an important role to play in the energy mix of the future,” says Steve Hill, Executive Vice President of Shell Energy .
“With these bunkers and the Gate terminal, we are demonstrating that Shell is dedicated to building a robust and reliable supply chain to meet the needs of our customers. With stricter emissions regulations on the horizon, we continue to work with our customers and partners on cleaner energy solutions.”