TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has recently completed its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operations for two new, dual-fuelled vessels owned by the Angelicoussis Group following bilateral short-term supply deals struck on the spot market, signalling the growing maturity of the lower-carbon marine fuel.
On 23 August 2023, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels supplied 2,700 metric tons of LNG to Maran Tankers Management’s (MTM) Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), Maran Danae, via the Gas Agility LNG bunker vessel in Rotterdam.
This LNG bunkering operation followed the Gas Agility’s supply of MTM’s Dual-Fuel VLCC, Antonis I. Angelicoussis, with 2,700 metric tons of LNG in July. Antonis I. Angelicoussis is chartered to TotalEnergies.
Maran Danae and Antonis I. Angelicoussis are among four new dual-fuelled (DF) VLCCs that MTM, the oil tanker shipping arm of Angelicoussis Group, took delivery this year. The vessels emit 42% less carbon dioxide than an equivalent 10-year-old VLCC, which according to MTM, makes them the most environmentally friendly VLCCs in the world.
“We are pleased to build on our longstanding partnership with Maran Tankers Management and to support the Angelicoussis Group’s decarbonisation goals with these inaugural LNG bunker operations,” said Oğuz Önalan, General Manager of Bunker Trading and Operations for Europe and Africa, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels.
“Importantly, the operations demonstrate TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ ability to serve a broad spectrum of the market’s needs promptly and flexibly through our supply network, whether by fulfilling long-term contracts or providing short-term market-sensitive solutions. We stand ready to serve the growing LNG bunker requirements of different vessel types in different circumstances, as the shipping industry’s decarbonisation ambitions accelerate.”
Mark Pearson, Managing Director of MTM, said: “Angelicoussis Group actively embraces the energy transition and adopts sustainable initiatives with the aim of decarbonising our fleet. Apart from constantly monitoring and optimising the energy efficiency of our current fleet, we also invest in the vessels of the future. The delivery of our first four LNG Dual-Fuel VLCCs and two LNG Dual-Fuel bulk carriers this year marks a milestone in our decarbonisation strategy. These deliveries, as well as the eight Dual-Fuel Suezmaxes which we have currently on order, reiterate our commitment to LNG as the best low-carbon marine fuel available. We strongly believe that cross-industry collaboration is key towards a greener future and we are delighted to have successfully completed the LNG bunkering operations of our Dual-Fuel VLCCs Antonis I. Angelicoussis and Maran Danae with the invaluable contribution of our longstanding partner, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels.”
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has actively invested in LNG bunkering infrastructure, critical to supporting its shipping customers’ adoption of LNG as a marine fuel. The Company currently charters two 18,600-m³ LNG bunker vessels: the Gas Agility, at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and the Gas Vitality, at the Port of Marseille-Fos, France.
Since the start of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, the Gas Agility and the Gas Vitality have performed over 200 LNG bunkering operations. Notably, both vessels have conducted world-premier, large-scale operations across these bunker hubs with high levels of performance and safety records.