DaChan Bay Terminals marked a significant milestone with the launch of the first ship-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering at the facilities in western Shenzhen on October 15.

The terminals are operated by Modern Terminals Limited headquartered in Hong Kong.

At DaChan Bay Terminals, container vessel ZIM JASPER operated by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Limited (ZIM) received 2,000 tonnes of LNG from bunker vessel XIN AO PU TUO HAO provided by Shenzhen PetroChina International LNG Bunkering Co., Ltd through a ship-to-ship transfer.

 [Source: DaChan Bay Terminals]

ZIM JASPER is one of 28 modern LNG-fuelled vessels operated by ZIM on its global network.

The arrangements can allow vessels to receive LNG fuel while container loading/unloading is being handled at berth and that can help reduce ship turnaround time and operational costs for shipping lines.

Horace Lo, group managing director of Modern Terminals Limited said the inaugural LNG bunkering operations at DaChan Bay Terminals underpin the development of our terminal facilities as green ports.

"In June, we achieved Hong Kong's first SIMOPS LNG bunkering at Modern Terminals Hong Kong and with the successful launch of the LNG bunkering services at DaChan Bay Terminals, it means all our customers can have LNG bunkering at any of our facilities," he said.

"We will continue to work with all parties concerned to help ensure any green maritime fuel required by shipping lines will be available at our terminal facilities in both Hong Kong and DaChan Bay."