Naming Ceremony for France’s First LNG Bunker Vessel
The bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. All three parties first collaborated in 2018 to successfully design and build her sistership, the Gas Agility, which has been operating in the Port of Rotterdam since November 2020.
Classed by Bureau Veritas and operated by V.Ships France under the French flag, the Gas Vitality will enter operational service in December 2021 and be based in the Port of Marseille-Fos, Southern France, to serve the Mediterranean region. She will notably perform LNG bunkering services to CMA CGM’s LNG-fueled containerships and MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships that call at the French port.
“We are delighted to officially name our second chartered LNG bunker vessel. The ‘Gas Vitality’ is a testament of our commitment to provide our shipping customers with another major European hub to help meet their LNG bunkering needs,” said Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Vice-President Marine Fuels at TotalEnergies.
The 135-metre long bunker vessel is equipped with a GTT Mark III membrane containment system. The vessel also features upgraded cargo pumps and high duty compressors, which allow it to increase its loading and bunkering rate by 25%, to a maximum of 2000m3/hr.
