Malaysia’s first LNG bunker vessel delivered

Following its maiden voyage, Avenir Advantage will commence a three-year charter to Malaysia’s Petronas LNG Sdn Bhd, supplying LNG to fuel ships operating in the region and delivering break-bulk cargoes directly to small-scale customers. This will underpin the expansion of LNG as a fuel and the use of cleaner-burning natural gas for industrial and power generation applications.

With a length overall of 123.44 m and draught of 5.65 m, Avenir Advantage is the first of two ships ordered from Keppel Nantong Shipyard. Each vessel has two IMO Type C tanks with a total cargo capacity of 7,500 m³.

Avenir chief executive Milorad Doljanin said “With the delivery of Avenir Advantage, we move one step closer to delivering our shareholders’ vision of creating a small-scale LNG supply and marketing portfolio.” Added Mr Doljanin, “The flexible design of our vessels allows us to support the development of the LNG bunker fuel market while adding to the global small-scale supply fleet, supporting our strategic objective of supplying natural gas to otherwise inaccessible areas.”

Avenir LNG is currently building a fleet of six LNG bunker vessels with capacities ranging from of 7,500 m³ to 20,000 m³ and the small-scale HIGAS LNG import facility, with storage of 10,800 m³, in Oristano, Sardinia. Avenir LNG holds an 80% stake in the facility, with local partners Gas & Heat and CPL Concordia each holding an equal 10% share. The terminal is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by Q1 2021.

Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co Ltd has been contracted to build two LNG bunker vessels, each with a capacity of 7,500 m³, and two LNG bunker vessels, each with a capacity of 20,000 m³. All the vessels are being built to DNV GL class.