On July 31, French energy giant TotalEnergies officially exercised its option on an 18,600-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessel. The vessel is part of a 1+1 order previously signed by TotalEnergies with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, marking Hudong-Zhonghua’s further expansion of its leading position in the bunkering vessel sector.
The vessel was independently developed and designed by Hudong-Zhonghua, with a wider bunkering range and superior performance indicators, reaching world-leading standards.Classed by Bureau Veritas (BV), the vessel is 135.9 meters long, 24.5 meters wide, and 16 meters deep. The vessel makes extensive use of green, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon equipment, making this latest V3.0 version bunkering vessel even more environmentally friendly.
Its technical highlights are primarily reflected in three aspects:
Better ship-shore compatibility: The optimized high-low dual bunkering manifold design is not only compatible with more LNG shore stations, but also can match LNG-powered ship types such as very large crude oil tankers (VLCCs), LR2 tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and PCTCs, greatly improving the compatibility and economy of LNG bunkering vessels.
Lower energy consumption and emissions: The vessel uses a full rotary electric propulsion system and upgraded main engines with more efficient dual-fuel models, enabling gas mode operation under all working conditions. Under design conditions, its gas consumption is reduced by approximately 14%. In addition, the engines use technologies such as two-stage turbocharging to enable more complete combustion, reducing methane emissions by up to 60%.
Improved energy conservation and environmental protection: The vessel holds green classification notations such as Sustainable Ship (SUSTAINABLESHIP-1), Green Passport EU, and Cleanship. It also utilizes environmentally friendly equipment such as dual-fuel engines, dual-fuel boilers, and a natural gas incinerator that supports highly inert gas treatment. The LNG spray pump, gas pump and main seawater pump all utilize energy-saving variable frequency drives, significantly enhancing the vessel’s energy conservation, emission reduction and low-carbon environmental performance.
The shipowner for this LNG bunkering vessel is Spanish shipping company IBAIZABAL, and the operator is TotalEnergies. Hudong-Zhonghua has a long history of cooperation with TotalEnergies. In 2021, it delivered two 18,600-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessels to TotalEnergies, and its construction efficiency and quality were highly praised by TotalEnergies.
The first vessel, which came into effect in 2024, is currently under construction in dock. It is worth noting that the vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will serve the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.