AB Klaipedos Nafta reported the LNG carrier Sestao Knutsen arrived in Klaipėda port carrying LNG from the US
It is the second LNG cargo exported to Lithuania from the US in this gas year, according to a social media post by AB Klaipedos Nafta (KN). The terminal’s current gas year runs from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020.
KN is the operator of Lithuania’s Klaipėda LNG terminal, which incorporates the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Independence, which has a regas capacity of 10.3M m3 of natural gas per day and a storage capacity of 170,000 m3. Connected to Lithuania’s natural gas distribution network via an 18-km pipeline, the FSRU has the ability to receive and transfer cargoes from LNG carriers.
The first US LNG cargo was exported from Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass terminal in Texas to Klaipėda LNG terminal in August 2017.
Built in 2007 at Izar in Bilbao, Spain, Sestao Knutsen has an overall length of 284.4 m, beam of 42.5 m, design draft of 11.95 m and capacity of 138,000 m3. Sestao Knutsen is owned by Norway’s Knutsen OAS Shipping, which has 13 LNG carriers in its fleet.
In December, Shell signed separate agreements for four LNG carriers with affiliates of Knutsen LNG, two LNG carriers with Korea Line and two LNG carriers with Global Meridian Holdings Limited.
These 174,000-m3 LNG carriers are being built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. Each vessel will be equipped with efficient dual-fuel X-DF engines, boil-off management plants, air lubrication systems and shaft generators for auxiliary power. They will be integrated into Shell’s time-chartered trading fleet.
At the time of the signing, Shell Shipping & Maritime vice president Dr Grahaeme Henderson, said “These high technology ships deliver significant benefits for the Shell fleet by reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency, and will support Shell’s trading businesses in safely and reliably delivering LNG to our customers around the world.”
Added Dr Henderson “Improvements in ship hull and machinery design, and introducing digital performance management systems has resulted in up to 40% more fuel efficiency than equivalent ships operating in 2008. We have taken further steps with the addition of energy efficient technologies on these ships, such as air lubrication, making a substantial reduction in the carbon intensity of our operations.”
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