ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM) and Shell International Petroleum Company Limited (Shell) have announced the successful bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER container vessel with liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

In a statement, ZIM said the vessel was bunkered at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) on March 26, 2023.  

"This was a milestone operation for a number of reasons: it is the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaican waters; and the ZIM SAMMY OFER is the first in a series of ten 15,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships which ZIM plans to deploy on their ZCP trade line," the shipping line said.

It added that for these vessels, ZIM recently signed a ten-year marine LNG sales and purchase agreement with Shell.

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has supported Shell and ZIM in enabling LNG bunkering in Jamaica.

"We are proud to be able to offer and promote LNG bunkering in Jamaica,"  said Peter Brady, rear admiral and director-general at Maritime Authority of Jamaica.

He added that decarbonization of the shipping industry is critical and, being readily available, LNG is a "key part" of the transition to cleaner marine fuels.

"This offering will not only grow local businesses but also encourage companies to embrace sustainable solutions," Brady said.

David Arbel, ZIM EVP COO, noted that the safe and efficient LNG bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER is a great achievement for all parties involved. 

"This is the first vessel in our growing LNG-powered fleet that will enable ZIM to be more carbon and cost-efficient, thereby improving our competitive position, particularly on strategic Asia to USEC trade, and allowing customers to reduce their carbon footprint," Arbel said.

Equipped with ME-GI (M-type, Electronically Controlled Gas Injection) two-stroke engines, ZIM’s LNG dual-fueled vessels have negligible methane slip of around 0.2%, a testament to ZIM's commitment to decarbonizing its fleet.  

"This landmark bunking safely completed in collaboration with ZIM and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica expands our LNG bunkering network to the Caribbeans. With every new bunkering location added to our footprint, we are demonstrating LNG as the lowest-carbon fuel available at scale today, enabling the shipping sector to start decarbonizing," said Tahir Faruqui, general manager, Head of Downstream LNG at Shell.

Kingston, Jamaica, is a new LNG bunkering location for Shell, expanding its global LNG bunkering network to 16 locations across 11 countries.

To date, ZIM said in its statement that Shell has already achieved over 1,000 safe ship-to-ship bunkering operations for its customers.