LNG Bunkering

EXCLUSIVE: Designer of Singapore’s first LNG dual fuel bunkering tanker talks trend

More such LNG fuelled vessels to be ordered by other ship owners before the end of this year, spokesman of ship design firm SeaTech Solutions tells Manifold Times.

Published

8 years ago

May 2, 2018

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Singapore-headquartered ship design firm SeaTech Solutions, the designer for Singapore's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered dual fuel bunkering vessel, believes the republic will be seeing more LNG fuelled ships ordered before the end of 2018.

“We are working with different clients on several projects including smaller LNG carriers and should close these before end of the year,” Prabjot Singh Chopra, VP Technology at SeaTech tells Manifold Times.

Chopra, meanwhile, says many Singapore bunkering operators are still at a wait-and-see stage due to the extremely high incremental costs of ordering LNG dual fuel capable bunkering tankers.

“Everybody is waiting to confirm the availability and pricing of Low Sulphur fuels,” he notes.

“The biggest challenge is to reduce CAPEX and let owners see better returns on investment (ROI) as dual fuelled vessels present high incremental costs. The dual fuelled bunkering tanker may not fetch higher charter rates, and the only cost savings would be due to lower LNG prices.”

According to Chopra, building a LNG dual fuel vessel that can burn either LNG or marine gas oil (MGO) is between 20 to 25% more expensive compared to a similar vessel purely fuelled by LNG, due to the higher cost of the more expensive dual fuel engines.

However, a dual fuel engine offers flexibility and lower risk as availability and pricing of LNG are still not stable and expected to increase coming 2020. In such a case, the owner may choose to use MGO as a fuel if the price of LNG becomes too high.

The unpredictable LNG price, however, have not deterred some Singapore operators from exploring options for a LNG bunkering vessel capable of delivering LNG as a marine fuel to other dual fuel or pure gas fuel vessels.

“We are currently designing a range of smaller LNG bunkering vessels. The cost to build LNG tankers is high and we are working closely with the LNG system suppliers to integrate and optimise the design for a cost effective solution,” says Chopra.

“For example, building a 7,500 m³ pure LNG bunkering vessel in China will cost in region of USD$35 million,” shares Chopra.

The LNG cargo tanks of a pure LNG bunkering vessel may take up as much as 60% of the total cost of the vessel, he adds.

“We are looking at the same 7,500 m³ newbuild to our design below USD$30 million.

“The 7,500 m³ capacity LNG bunkering vessel will be adequate to deliver LNG to LNG fuelled bunker tankers, tugboats and other small and medium sized LNG fuelled vessels bunkering in Singapore.

“In comparison, the mega LNG-fuelled container vessels would require LNG bunker tankers with capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 m³. This requires a huge investment and a very high risk for any local bunker tanker owner to build a large LNG bunkering tanker without a guaranteed demand. In addition to the high investment and low ROI, the insufficient current demand for LNG bunkers is the second challenge.”

SeaTech Solutions is a vessel design specialist with more than 400 designs built and sailing worldwide. The company designed the world’s first deep sea mining vessel. In addition to Singapore, the firm has offices in China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Korea.

Photo credit: SeaTech Solutions
Published: 2 May, 2018

LNG Bunkering

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, the company said Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

British oil giant Shell on Thursday (13 August) said Valencia has joined its growing network of bunkering locations, making LNG available as a marine fuel.

The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marked an important milestone for Spain and further strengthened Shell’s LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean.

In a video shared by the company, bunkering vessel Alice Consulich was shown supplying an undisclosed volume of LNG to the container ship MSC Sabrina.

“As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes,” Shell said in a social media post.

Shell said the achievement reflected the strong collaboration across the maritime value chain, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia and Fratelli Cosulich Group.

“We look forward to making more LNG bunker deliveries in Valencia and across the Mediterranean as LNG infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand,” the company said.

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Énestas and Power LNG join forces on Galveston bunkering

Énestas will provide capital, LNG transport and storage equipment, and downstream expertise to support Power LNG’s planned liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis Solutions enter 10-year LNG bunkering supply deal for Port of Galveston

Power LNG (Power LNG) and Mexico’s LNG infrastructure and downstream natural gas company Énestas on Wednesday (12 August) announced the execution of definitive agreements establishing a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of LNG infrastructure at the Port of Galveston.

Under the agreement, Énestas will provide capital, LNG transportation and storage equipment, and downstream operating expertise to support the development of the Harborside Terminal and Project Seawolf, Power LNG’s planned LNG liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

The partnership creates an immediate pathway to begin LNG distribution by truck while Project Seawolf is under development, supporting marine fueling, virtual pipeline customers, industrial users, and LNG exports throughout the Gulf Coast, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Our vision has always been to establish Galveston as the premier LNG hub for the Gulf Coast,” said Austin Terry, Founder and CEO of Power LNG.

“Énestas brings years of operational experience, proven LNG infrastructure, and a talented team that understands how to deliver LNG safely and efficiently. Together, we can immediately begin serving customers while laying the foundation for one of the most strategic LNG bunkering facilities in North America.”

Project Seawolf will provide LNG for marine bunkering, truck loading, virtual pipeline distribution, and international exports. The facility is strategically located at the Port of Galveston, serving one of the fastest-growing cruise, cargo, and energy corridors in the United States.

For Énestas, the transaction represented an important milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“This partnership represents a natural evolution for Énestas as we expand our downstream LNG business into the United States,” said Caio Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Énestas.

“For more than a decade, Énestas has developed and operated LNG infrastructure throughout Mexico, helping customers transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Partnering with Power LNG allows us to leverage that experience in one of the most attractive LNG markets in North America. We see tremendous opportunities in marine bunkering, virtual pipeline logistics, industrial LNG supply, and exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are excited to build that future together.”

The companies expect the partnership to support near-term LNG truck loading operations while advancing the long-term development of Project Seawolf, which is designed to become a regional hub for LNG production, marine fueling, and distribution.

The collaboration also establishes a platform to pursue additional downstream LNG opportunities throughout the Gulf Coast, utilising Énestas’ operational expertise together with Power LNG’s project development capabilities.

Photo credit: Port of Galveston
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Company says the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Clean energy production solutions provider Stabilis Solutions (Stabilis) on Thursday (13 August) said it has completed 97 LNG bunkering operations and delivered more than 150,000 m³ of LNG to customers in the Port of Galveston.

“As the only physical supplier of LNG on the Gulf Coast to reach this milestone, we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted, proven operator — both with local Galveston stakeholders and with the world’s largest cruise operator,” the company said in a social media post.

“That trust is reflected in the 10-year LNG offtake agreement we executed in December 2025.”

The company said the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

“As a Houston-based company, we believe in the Texas economy and the future growth of the Port of Galveston,” it added.

“That belief is why we’ve invested heavily over the past four years in the planning, permitting, and engineering design work to develop the most advanced, derisked, shovel-ready small-scale LNG liquefaction project on the Gulf Coast.”

Manifold Times previously reported Stabilis stating that the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is anticipated to be in production by the third quarter of 2028.

It will come complete with the delivery of the first new-build, dedicated Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge in the Galveston/Houston area.

This comes following Stabilis receiving a Letter of Recommendation from the US Coast Guard following their formal review of the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility and associated waterfront LNG loading, marine transportation, and LNG bunkering operations in the Port of Galveston.

Photo credit: Stabilis Solutions
Published: 14 August, 2026