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The first offshore ship-to-ship operation conducted by the world’s largest bunker supply vessel

The first offshore ship-to-ship operation conducted by the world’s largest bunker supply vessel

Nauticor has commenced supply of LNG by ship to the Gothia Tanker Alliance with a bunker operation for the LNG-fuelled product tanker “Fure Valö”

Hamburg – On April 15th, 2019, the world’s largest bunker supply vessel (BSV) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) “Kairos” provided LNG in a ship-to-ship bunker operation to a product tanker. “Fure Valö”, a vessel of the tanker pool managed by the Gothia Tanker Alliance, received LNG at the anchorage area of Sandhamn, near the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The bunker operation was the first offshore ship-to-ship operation that was conducted by the 117 meter long BSV.

The bunker operation was conducted under an agreement for the supply of LNG, which was signed at the end of 2018 by Furetank Rederi, a member of the Gothia Tanker Alliance, and Nauticor. The agreement covers the supply of LNG from the BSV “Kairos” to the LNG-fuelled product tankers, which are owned and operated by members of the Gothia Tanker Alliance, including the retrofitted product tanker “Fure West” and six newbuild vessels, one of them being “Fure Valö”.

Lars Höglund, Managing Director of Furetank, pointed out the importance of a strong LNG supply infrastructure: “By using LNG as fuel for our vessels, we have significant potential to reduce the impact on the environment through lower emissions and minimizing noise. To be able to use that potential, we rely on a comprehensive LNG supply network. We are glad to see that the recent start of operations with Nauticor’s “Kairos” massively contributes to that network and makes LNG available at more locations, e.g. in the Baltic Sea.”

By using LNG, a wide range of emissions, especially sulphur, nitrogen, and particle matters, as well as carbon dioxide, can be significantly reduced.

Mahinde Abeynaike, CEO of Nauticor, added that, “We are proud to provide Furetank with a state-of-the-art ship- to-ship LNG fuelling solution. LNG is becoming a fuel for all segments in the shipping sector, including not only passenger traffic but also tankers and other cargo vessels. We are determined to be a partner providing highest quality standards and cost-efficient LNG supply solutions for shipping companies that take the decision to use LNG as a bunker fuel.”

With a tank capacity of 7,500 m3, Nauticor’s new vessel „Kairos“ is the world’s largest LNG bunker supply vessel. Nauticor chartered “Kairos” via the joint venture Blue LNG from the owner Babcock Schulte Energy, where Nauticor has a 90% share and Lithuanian energy infrastructure provider KN (Klaipedos Nafta) has a 10% share.

Gothia Tanker Alliance

The Gothia Tanker Alliance is a leading European tanker network for coastal tankers. The companies in the cooperative offer an even more comprehensive service network to their clients. Together, the alliance provides a significantly large tonnage capacity and vessel sizes. Their vision is to be recognized as industry leaders and the clients’ first and best choice by offering safe and sustainable cargo transportation in combination with smooth and reliable service. The members of the Gothia Tanker Alliance can offer the optimum size vessel in the right position at the requested time. The fleet mainly consists of small tanker vessels between 5,000 and 10,000 dwt, and intermediate tanker vessels between 10,000 and 40,000 dwt.

Furetank Rederi AB

Furetank, based on Donsö in the Gothenburg archipelago, is a family-owned shipping company that has been active in petroleum shipping since the early 1950’s. Today, Furetank operates eight vessels and is furthermore, a founding member of the Gothia Tanker Alliance, a market platform for small and intermediate product tankers, operating 40 vessels in European waters.

Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG

The Hamburg based company Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG is a leading supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for ships. As a part of The Linde Group, a world-wide leading gas and engineering company, Nauticor combines a broad range of competencies in cryogenic technology, logistics, and bunkering to develop LNG supply solutions for maritime customers in Northwest Europe, especially the North and Baltic Sea. It is Nauticor’s strategy to cover the entire LNG value chain from the terminal to the end customer, including sourcing, transport, storage and bunkering in strategically important ports.