First STS bunkering at Antwerp

Titan LNG’s LNG bunker vessel FlexFueler 001 has bunkered chemical tanker Ramelia, which has been sailing for the Swedish Gothia Alliance since September 2019. The fuel was exchanged at the dock of SEA-Tank Terminal within the port.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp, said: “As the fifth largest bunker port in the world, we want to play a pioneering role in the integration of low-carbon fuels in the bunker market. With this first LNG bunkering in our port, we are again taking an important step in the transition to a Multi Fuel Port.”

Titan LNG has had a license to deliver LNG in the Port of Antwerp since 2019. Titan LNG’s FlexFueler 002 will be christened later this year. This will supply LNG to ships throughout the entire port area.

The port is currently focusing making sure onsite terminals are comfortable with LNG bunkering. By being the first to facilitate an LNG bunkering operation at its dock, SEA-Tank Terminal is taking on a pioneering role for the Port of Antwerp.

LNG permits are issued after candidate bunker operators have passed a detailed screening, using the International Association of Ports and Harbors’ (IAPH) Clean Marine Fuels Audit Tool. The licensing system is one of the three pillars of Port of Antwerp’s Port Safety Management Framework for bunkering clean marine fuels.