TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ chartered LNG bunker barge, Gas Vitality, refuelled the MSC Cruises vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2,500cu mtr of LNG at the port last Saturday, while guest operations continued as normal.
The operation marks the start of the previously announced LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and the Cruise Division of MSC Group in March 2021, as the companies drive forward their respective decarbonization plans.
Under the agreement, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will supply approximately 45,000 tons per year of LNG to MSC Cruises’ vessels at Marseille.
LNG bunkering
Philippe Charleux, SVP lubricants and specialties, TotalEnergies commented, 'this operation expands our LNG bunkering capabilities to the cruise ship segment, demonstrating our ability to serve a broader range of shipping clients, as the industry strives to reduce emissions.'
Patrick Pourbaix, MD of MSC Cruises in France, said: 'This first LNG bunkering operation in Marseille is an important milestone for our company as we welcome MSC World Europa for her first summer season in the Mediterranean. LNG is not only the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale, but also a transitional fuel as we look ahead to source and use synthetic LNG or other alternative non-carbon fuels as soon as they become available at scale.'
Marine LNG
Marine LNG paves the way forward for all ports in the Mediterranean to meet the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations taking effect in 2025, as part of its new Emission Control Area (ECA) designation. Used as a marine fuel, LNG helps to cut: sulfur emissions and fine particle emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85% and GHG emissions by around 20%.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has actively invested in LNG bunkering infrastructure and currently charters two 18,600cu mtr LNG bunker vessels: Gas Agility, at the Port of Rotterdam, in addition to Gas Vitality in Marseille.
Since the start of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, Gas Agility and Gas Vitality have performed over a hundred LNG bunkering operations.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited.
Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.  |
