The Hong Kong Seaport Alliance has completed the city's first simultaneous liquefied natural gas bunkering operations, marking a milestone in local maritime fuel transition efforts.
The operations involved the Hapag-Lloyd 23,664-TEU LNG-powered megamax vessel HANOI EXPRESS, which received around 10,000 cubic metres of LNG from the world's largest LNG bunker vessel HAI YANG SHI YOU 301 in a ship-to-ship transfer.
The bunkering service was provided by CLPe and CNOOC Guangdong Water Transport Clean Energy Company Limited (CNOOC).
The announcement noted that SIMOPS helps reduce the port time of a vessel, which can lead to cost savings for the shipping company and increased efficiency for the port.
[Source: HKSPA]
Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, said: "The Government is committed to developing Hong Kong as a green maritime fuel bunkering and trading centre. We are delighted to see the city progressing well towards this goal and look forward to continuing our collaboration with various industry stakeholders to grow the number of suppliers and expand the range of green maritime fuels available in the Port of Hong Kong."
Horace Lo, Group Managing Director of Modern Terminals, said: "We thank our shipping line customer Hapag-Lloyd for choosing Hong Kong for this LNG bunkering operations. The successful operations demonstrate that Hong Kong is capable of providing worldclass LNG bunkering services, further enhancing our port's position as a key international maritime hub."
Ivor Chow, managing director of Hongkong International Terminals pointed out that as the global shipping industry evolves with increasing environmental requirements, the provision of green maritime fuel bunkering services is becoming a key element of port competitiveness.
"Hong Kong is well-positioned to offer shipping lines access to a diverse fuel mix that aligns with their decarbonisation goals," she said.
CLP Holdings Chief Executive Officer T. K. Chiang noted that this collaboration between CLPe and CNOOC not only advances Hong Kong's development as a world-class green marine fuel bunkering hub but also strengthens its ties with CNOOC, a key energy supplier to the mainland maritime industry.
"This cooperation will help accelerate the green transformation of the national shipping industry and enhance the entire ecosystem," he added.
The successful SIMOPS LNG bunkering operations are a result of the concerted efforts of all concerned parties, including the Hong Kong SAR Government, the shipping lines, the terminal operators, and the bunkering service provider.
HKSPA said it will continue to work closely with all parties to help ensure green maritime fuels required by the shipping lines are available at the Port of Hong Kong.
