The 18,600-m³ GTT Mark III Flex membrane vessel is owned by
Emerald Green Maritime Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K.
Lines, Ltd. (MOL), and is chartered by Total’s affiliate Total Marine Fuels
Global Solutions (TMFGS).
Chinese shipbuilder HudongZhonghua Shipbuilding started
building the vessel back in November 2018 and delivered it in April 2020.
“Gas Agility’s arrival in Rotterdam marks the culmination of
3 years of dedicated work with MOL and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in
Shanghai, to plan, build and create a major development in global marine LNG
fuel supply,” said Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Managing Director of Total Marine
Fuels Global Solutions.
“It is a clear demonstration of our ongoing drive to develop
key logistical LNG infrastructures in the main bunkering hubs around the world,
helping the shipping industry make the move to a more sustainable fuel
solution,” he added.
The vessel features GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment
system and Wartsila’s dual-fuel engine. The newbuilding arrived in Rotterdam
last month.
“The transition from
heavy fuel oil to LNG is competitive, environmentally efficient and an
immediately available solution for maritime transportation. By providing the
capacity to deliver LNG as a marine fuel, this partnership will be the leader
in transition to a more fuel-efficient industry,” said Takeshi Hashimoto,
Executive Vice President of MOL.
Among the ship’s’ expected clients will be CMA CGM’s ultra
large LNG-powered containerships currently under construction in China.
In December 2019, TMFGS and MOL signed a long-term charter
contract for a second large LNG bunker vessel, to be delivered in 2021.