The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been officially named “Gas Vitality”, at a ceremony held today at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China.

The 18,600-m3 newbuild bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. All three parties first collaborated in 2018 to successfully design and build her sistership, the Gas Agility, which has been operating in the Port of Rotterdam since November 2020.

Classed by Bureau Veritas and operated by V.Ships France under the French flag, the Gas Vitality will enter operational service in December 2021 and be based in the Port of Marseille- Fos, Southern France, to serve the Mediterranean region. She will notably perform LNG bunkering services to CMA CGM’s LNG-fueled containerships and MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships that call at the French port.

“We are delighted to officially name our second chartered LNG bunker vessel. The ‘Gas Vitality’ is a testament of our commitment to provide our shipping customers with another major European hub to help meet their LNG bunkering needs,” said Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Vice-President Marine Fuels at TotalEnergies. “With the accelerated pace of transition to marine LNG we are witnessing among ship owners, it shows the shipping industry’s readiness to act today to curb their current greenhouse gas emissions, whilst paving the way for future, alternative fuel solutions such as bioLNG and other cryogenic fuels. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the value chain to expand the range of solutions that will help to decarbonize shipping,” he added.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all partners who have been involved in the planning, building and successful completion of the “Gas Vitality”. “Gas Vitality” is a significant milestone in our long-term partnership with TotalEnergies throughout the LNG supply chain and our commitment towards a decarbonized world. I am confident that our commitment to deliver LNG as a marine fuel, will accelerate the transition to LNG fuel as a competitive, environmentally efficient and immediately available solution for the maritime industry,” said Kenta Matsuzaka, Senior Managing Executive Officer at MOL.

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Key Features of the ‘Gas Vitality’

The Gas Vitality is a 135 meters long GTT Mark III membrane vessel. She incorporates a range of features that enables her to meet the highest technical and environmental standards, including :

• Increased loading and bunkering rate by 25%, to a maximum of 2000m3/hr, through upgraded cargo pumps and high duty compressors.
• New pressure reduction system to optimize bunkering operations of ‘Type C’ tank vessels under all conditions.
• Azimuth propellers and two bow thrusters, delivering an extremely high degree of maneuverability enabling tug-free operations in port and further reducing the environmental impact of her operations.
• Two manifolds for enhanced ship-to-ship bunkering flexibility across vessel types and sizes.
• Equipped to offer Electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (e-BDN) to her customers.
• Onboard re-liquefaction of the boil-off gas is further used for propulsion and for the vessel’s own power generation.