SCF partners with Shell for LNG fuelled oil tankers

SCF Group (Sovcomflot) has signed an agreement with Shell Western LNG for the supply of LNG to fuel the first Aframax crude oil tankers in the world to be powered by LNG.

Shell will provide the LNG fuel for the new generation of SCF Group’s 114,000 deadweight ice-classed Aframax tankers that are scheduled to come into operation beginning in Q3 2018.

They will be the first LNG-fuelled Aframax tankers and will operate primarily between the Baltic and Northern Europe transporting crude oil and petroleum products. Shell will fuel the vessels from a specialised LNG bunker vessel at the Gas Access to Europe (GATE) terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and other supply points in the Baltic. Each LNG-fuelled tanker will have an ice class 1A hull enabling year-round export operations from the Russian Baltic.

The signing of this milestone agreement marks the fulfilment of an MOU signed between Shell and SCF in September 2015 to develop Marine LNG fuelling for large-capacity tankers. The use of LNG fuel significantly improves vessels’ environmental performance and meets the growing desire of customers to see their shipping requirements provided with minimal adverse impact on the environment. 

For more information visit www.sovcomflot.ru

10th April 2017