Yemisi Izuora.

Shell Western LNG B.V. (Shell) has announced the introduction of bunker vessels, bunker barge charter for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine fuels business.

The company welcomes the arrival of Cardissa, a state-of-the-art LNG bunker vessel with the capacity to hold around 6,500 cubic metres of LNG fuel.

These vessels enable Shell to serve customers with LNG fuel from the Gate terminal in Rotterdam to locations throughout Europe.

Shell also said it had finalised a long-term agreement with a joint venture between Victrol NV and CFT to charter an LNG bunker barge with a capacity to carry 3,000 cubic metres of LNG fuel. Operating out of Rotterdam, the LNG bunker barge will provide 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 future energy mix,” said Steve Hill, Executive Vice President of Shell Energy. “With these bunker vessels, as well as the Gate terminal, Shell is demonstrating its commitment to building a robust and reliable supply chain to meet customer needs. With tougher emissions regulations on the horizon, we will continue to work closely with our customers and partners on cleaner energy solutions.”

More ship owners and operators are choosing cleaner-burning LNG fuel over traditional marine fuels to respond to sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions regulations, including the IMO’s recent decision to implement a global 0.5% sulphur cap in 2020.