The 7,900 dwt newbuilding, the first for Sinanju, will be powered mainly by liquefied natural gas (LNG) to deliver marine fuels to ocean-going vessels within local port limits. It will also be utilised for training on LNG handling procedures and safety, the company said in a press release.
Sinanju confirmed the order through its partner in the project, Mitsui & Co (Asia Pacific), the Singapore subsidiary of leading Japan-based trading house Mitsui & Co. The vessel will be built at Keppel Offshore and Marine (Keppel O&M) unit Keppel Singmarine, scheduled for delivery by end 2019. No financial details were disclosed.
“Sinanju aims to kick start a green initiative for bunker tankers operating in Singapore; for our vessels to emit less air pollutants while boosting the local use of LNG as a bunker fuel,” said Sinanju Tankers Holdings md Ju Kai Meng.
“Operating a dual-fuel powered bunker tanker will also add impetus for our staff and crew to familiarise themselves with the Technical Reference for LNG Bunkering (TR56:2017) and be skilled with the safe and efficient handling of LNG when re-fuelling this vessel. We will be in good stead when embarking on ship-to-ship LNG bunkering as our next milestone,” Ju added.
Keppel O&M md (Gas & Specialised Vessels) Abu Bakar said: “We are pleased to enter this partnership with Sinanju and Mitsui AP. The dual-fuel bunker tanker will be the third vessel to be built by Keppel Singmarine under the MPA LNG bunkering pilot programme and the seventh dual-fuel vessel built by Keppel O&M, extending our track record in LNG-fuelled vessels. With solutions across the LNG value chain, Keppel O&M is in a strong position to capture opportunities as the industry adopts greener solutions.”
Mitsui & Co (Asia Pacific) ceo Taku Morimoto said: “We are truly honoured and delighted to work with Sinanju and Keppel O&M, reputable and leading companies in Singapore, on Singapore’s very first dual-fuel bunker tanker project. Singapore as the world’s largest bunkering hub is initiating to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by boosting the use of LNG as a marine fuel, and we, as a company which has been serving the LNG industry for decades, would like to contribute further to Singapore’s green initiative.”
For this project, Sinanju appointed SeaTech Solutions International, a leading Singapore-based ship design and consultancy firm to design the dual-fuel bunker tanker.
Prabjot Singh Chopra, vp-technology at SeaTech noted: “We have built up strong capabilities and knowhow in LNG systems and this forms the basis for our innovative ship designs with LNG propulsion. And also cost effective solutions for LNG bunkering, in line with Singapore’s aim to be LNG bunker-ready by 2020.
“We are honoured to be entrusted by our valued client Sinanju, to design Singapore’s first LNG-fuelled bunkering vessel. We are looking forward to further collaborations in this exciting era of LNG bunkering at the Republic,” he added.
The 103-metre long 19-m wide dual-fuel bunker tanker is classed by Bureau Veritas (BV). It is equipped with a 55m3 LNG tank with a fuel gas supply system on deck to supply gas to the engine. Its fitted pipelines and tanks will enable the vessel to carry multiple grades of marine fuel cargo.
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