The tanker »Ternsund«, owned by Swedish shipping company Terntank, was the first[ds_preview] seagoing vessel that has bunkered LNG in Rotterdam. The newbuild has arrived for the first time in Rotterdam to unload naphtha and gas oil at Vopak in the Botlek.
After that, the ship was shifted to the former home terminal of the ECT terminal at the Willem Alexanderhaven where the bunkering took place. First, the temperature of the fuel tank was cooled down from ambient temperature to operating temperature. With the aid of nitrogen, the temperature was reduced from +20 °C to -162 °C in 18 hours. Then the bunkering of Shell LNG started. To this end, trucks have driven between the Eemhaven and the Gate terminal (property of Vopak and Gasunie) on the Maasvlakte. After the operations, the vessel continued to Gothenburg.
According to the information the port of Rotterdam intends to develop into a major, European LNG hub. Therefore, it promotes the exchange of heavy oil to the much cleaner LNG as fuel for shipping.
Next year, the Rotterdam Port Authority is expecting a new bunker vessel which Shell will use to supply seagoing vessels with LNG.
In the meantime, the Port Authority expect other seagoing vessels for bunkering LNG in Rotterdam.
