On 27 February, a keel-laying ceremony for Russia’s first LNG powered passenger vessel was held at the shipyard of Zelenodolsk Plan. In fact, the Russian-based Gazprom headed by Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, Member of the Management Committee, Head of Department, took part in the keel-laying ceremony for the “Chaika LNG”.
Turkish shipyard ‘Cemre’ informed that it launched Libas, the world’s first battery & LNG driven purse seiner/trawler. The launching of the vessel took place on the 7th of February. After the completion, Cemre is planning to deliver the vessel in Q2, 2020.
Meyer Turku shipyard announced the float-out of the coming flag-ship of Carnival Cruise line ‘Mardi Gras’. The new ship will be the largest one in the Carnival fleet, featuring 180,000 GT. It will be delivered later in 2020.
The LNG carrier owner Flex LNG announced its extension of the time-charter agreement concerning the 173.400 cbm vessel, “Flex Enterprise”. According to the company, with this extension the firm period under the time charter will be until the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Sinanju Tankers Holdings announced that it has taken delivery of Marine Vicky, Singapore’s 1st LNG-powered bunker tanker. The vessel will now join the fleet and begin operations in Singapore within the first quarter of 2020.
On 8 January, the United European Car Carriers (UECC), jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines announced its first steel cutting ceremony at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, for their battery hybrid LNG powered vessel “PCTC”.
On 3 January, the Spanish ferry company known as “Baleària”, officially announced its successful establishment of natural gas supply in the port of Valencia. In order to accomplish the supply properly, the company used a multi truck to ship (MTTS) high-speed bunkering system.
Japanese energy solutions provider Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden) has teamed up in long term transport agreements with com-patriot shipping companies NYK and MOL to deploy the world’s first LNG-fueled large coal carriers.
Shipping will continue to play an important part of the world economy for decades to come, but the industry itself, the vessels, the infrastructure, and the systems that connect them could change substantially, said Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV GL.
Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. inked a deal with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) for the construction of two LNG-fueled ferries, representing the first project of this kind ever made in Japan.
