TotalEnergies has signed a charter contract with Spanish shipowner Ibaizabal for a new LNG bunker vessel of 18 600m3 capacity. The new vessel will expand the company’s global presence in bunkering hubs. In particular, this additional vessel might be deployed in Oman, where the company is developing the Marsa LNG project with the objective to provide LNG to the shipping sector in the Gulf.
The vessel, owned by Ibaizabal, will supply LNG to a wide range of vessels (containerships, tankers, large cruise ships, ferries) at TotalEnergies’ LNG bunkering hubs and meet technical and environmental standards.
Used as a marine fuel, LNG is an immediately available transition fuel that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the shipping sector by around 20%. It also significantly improves air quality by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by up to 85%, and it almost completely eliminates (by 99%) sulfur oxides (SOx) and fine particules. These benefits are particularly impactful when ships are at berth, improving the quality of life for port cities and communities in coastal areas.
The new vessel, currently being constructed by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China, will be delivered by the end of 2026 and will join TotalEnergies’ current fleet of three deployed LNG bunker vessels: the Gas Agility, which has been positioned in the Port of Rotterdam, the Gas Vitality, operated in the Port of Marseille and the Brassavola located in the Port of Singapore.
“We are very proud of this agreement with Ibaizabal, which reinforces our position in LNG bunkering.” said Louise Tricoire, TotalEnergies Senior Vice President, Aviation and Marine Fuels. “With new LNG-fuelled vessels coming on stream at a rapid pace, we are committed to responding to the sector’s increasing demand for this fuel which can help global shipping meet its decarbonisation ambitions.”