On 16th January, 2019, ‘Coral Methane’ successfully carried out her first LNG bunkering operation on the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ship at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
She fuelled ‘AIDAnova’, the newest ship from AIDA Cruises, which made history as the cruise industry’s first ship to be powered at sea and in port by the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.
Coral Methane is a 7,500 cu m vessel that was modified from an ethylene/LNGC to an LNG bunker vessel for Shell, who are supplying the LNG.
“We believe LNG is today’s most sustainable marine fuel. The delivery of ‘Coral Methane’ as an LNG bunker vessel, in partnership with Shell, underlines our dedication to LNG and marks the next step in our contribution to a sustainable supply chain,” said Klaas Kerssemakers, Anthony Veder COO. “The success of this project is due to an excellent co-operation with all parties involved, from the engineering phase up to and including our first LNG bunkering operation.”
The modification project, managed by gas carrier owner Anthony Veder, took 12 months. It required engineering and modification work, as well as obtaining bunkering licenses to operate in various ports. To guarantee safe bunkering operations, the crew was familiarised with all the necessary equipment and procedures together with employees of Shell and AIDA Cruises, along with parent Carnival Corp.
‘Coral Methane’ was built in 2009 and was fitted with Azipull thrusters to give the vessel high manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency.
Upgrades, such as the installation of a hose transfer system, enable ‘Coral Methane’ to perform safe bunkering operations while the boil-off gas management system provides a sustainable solution for efficient use of natural gas and carbon emission reductions.
The project also involved a review of all necessary operational procedures to ensure compliance with the SGMF (Society for Gas as Marine Fuel) recommendations and guidelines.
