LNG logistics company Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) has revealed an equity investment in Norway-based developer of small-scale LNG sea transportation Kanfer Shipping.
AG&P and Kanfer, which deals in maritime break-bulk solutions, floating storage facilities as well as LNG bunkering, said they would make LNG “more accessible and commercially viable for downstream customers in new and growing natural gas markets.”
The parties would offer project owners and customers a fully integrated solution comprising LNG supply, large-scale LNG transportation, large-scale floating storage (FSU), small-scale LNG shipping for downstream distribution, small-scale FSU and other.
Kanfer has captured the attention of the global LNG maritime infrastructure industry with its patented barge design that makes breaking bulk cargoes of LNG easier, faster and more efficient. The small-scale solution uses the patented Detachable Stern Vessel (DSV) design to create an advanced version of the commonly used Articulated Tug Barge (ATB). The DSV transports LNG to and from an FSU, FSRU or land-based LNG terminals via a small and maneuverable barge that brings LNG to drop-points up rivers and along coasts.
“AG&P’s goal is to bring LNG to new markets. One of the missing links has been the capability to break-bulk LNG affordably. Kanfer’s designs unlock these new markets and solve a critical gap in the LNG supply chain for nascent and growing markets,” Karthik Sathyamoorthy, President of LNG Terminals and Logistics at AG&P, said.
Kanfer is already coordinating with global LNG companies to provide solutions to deliver LNG from FSUs to small demand centers or remote markets. Earlier this year, ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) Shipping & Logistics entered a cooperation in the small-scale LNG segment with Kanfer, while Japan’s INPEX CORPORATION joined the cooperation later.