Shell and Sovcomflot LNG bunkering firsts

Shell has delivered its first ship-to-ship bunkering of cleaner burning LNG fuel from its specialised LNG bunker vessel, Cardissa, paving the way for other future operations from the vessel.

This operation marked a number of other firsts, as it fuelled the Sovcomflot vessel Gagarin Prospect, the world’s first LNG-powered Aframax tanker. It was also the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering to take place in the Port of Rotterdam.

“Together with Shell, SCF Group shares a determination to reduce the environmental impact of energy shipping,” said Sergey Frank, President & CEO of Sovcomflot.

“Gagarin Prospect’s arrival and inaugural LNG bunkering, by Shell’s tanker Cardissa heralds a new age of more sustainable and environmentally responsible shipping – especially in the high traffic areas of the Baltic and North Seas, where this new class of ‘Green Aframaxes’ will operate.”

Working agreement

The fuelling of the Gagarin Prospect with LNG is the first operation under the LNG fuel supply agreement between Shell and Sovcomflot signed in 2017.

It is also the genesis of Sovcomflot’s ‘Green Funnel’ project which has seen the operator work closely with Shell since April 2015 on every aspect of it to bring the project to successful fruition.

Shell said it continues to build a robust marine LNG supply chain across the world’s main shipping lanes.

Sovcomflot is one ship owner choosing LNG fuel over traditional marine fuels to respond to sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions regulations.