In its first move towards dual fuel AET has opted for an LNG dual fuel option for up to four 113,000 dwt aframaxes under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries. The newbuilds are due for delivery from Q3 2018 onwards.
AET said the new ship would have global trading flexibility but initial operations would be focussed on areas with LNG bunker availability.
The company said it anticipated that up to half of its aframax fleet and other petroleum assets, including VLCCs, would also adopt the LNG dual fuel option “over the next few years”.
“We have complete confidence that LNG will play a significant part in the marine fuels mix in the coming years, and we have been reviewing the feasibility of developing a dual fuel LNG fleet since 2015,” said Yee Yang Chien, chairman of AET and ceo of its parent MISC.
MISC has extensive experience as LNG shipowner and the handling of liquid gas cargoes. “Our experience allows us to have confidence that the required infrastructure for LNG bunkering will develop at pace as we approach 2020 giving much more trading flexibility in the future,” Yee added.
AET has a fleet of 12 VLCCs, four suezmaxes, one panamax, 45 aframaxes, four DP tankers, four CPPs, three LR2 tankers,13 chemical ships and one LPG tanker.
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