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Largest LNG bunker tanker starts operations in Northwest Europe

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The world’s largest LNG bunkering vessel owned by Babcock Schulte Energy has started operations in Northwest Europe under charter to the Blue LNG joint venture.

The 7,500 cu m Kairos was handed over to Blue LNG in the port of Klaipeda on 11 December. Blue LNG is owned 90% by Hamburg based leading LNG supplier Nauticor and the Lithuanian energy infrastructure provider KN.

“With the handover of Kairos we are securing the supply of LNG as a marine fuel in the Baltic Sea on a large-scale basis,” said Mahinde Abeynaike, ceo of Nauticor.

“Thanks to our large LNG storage tanks with a pump rate equivalent to more than 30 LNG trucks per hour and our innovative maneuvering technology, marine customers will be able to benefit from an extremely fast and safe LNG ship-to-ship supply. From now on, also large vessels can bunker LNG in the Baltic Sea.”

Built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard the Kairos was delivered to Babcock Schulte Energy in October this year.

LNG bunkering is gaining ground ahead of the IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap with LNG as a marine fuel emitting zero SOx.

Read more: LNG bunkering becoming a global phenomenon