French port promotes LNG

The Port of Marseille Fos, a member of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), completed its second ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operation on 15 June.

After an inaugural STS bunkering operation in early May, the Port of Marseille Fos, Costa and Shell decided to repeat the operation.

The port, which has received LNG-propelled cruise ships since 2019, highlighted that from 2021 it will have a dedicated LNG bunkering vessel. Curently under construction, the vessel will be owned by Mol and chartered by Total.

Another, recently-built, LNG vessel that Total has chartered from MOL to supply CMA CGM container ships will be calling at the port from 2021.

The port confirmed that Elengy’s Fos Tonkin LNG terminal will continue to operate until 2028 and that Elengy’s Fos Cavaou LNG terminal will be adapted to load micro-methane carriers.

The Port of Marseille Fos has notably contributed to the working groups led by SGMF, alongside LNG operators, in order to introduce all the safety conditions that meet European and global standards in this regard.

Under the guidance of SGMF, the port and sector stakeholders, the energy transition to LNG is becoming a reality. To date, GMF has identified 185 LNG-powered ships in operation worldwide and 213 LNG ships on order.