BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19. Spanish Molgas has announced the completion of its inaugural LNG bunkering project in Sicily, Italy, Trend reports.
According to the company, the truck-to-ship bunkering operation occurred on April 11 at the port of Trapani, where Molgas supplied LNG to Caronte & Tourist’s vessel, Nerea.
Meanwhile, Caronte & Tourist's Siremar received the LNG-powered ferry from Turkey's Sefine shipyard in November last year. Caronte & Tourist held an inauguration ceremony for the ferry in December 2023 in Palermo. Nerea, measuring 110 meters in length and 20 meters in width, can accommodate 800 passengers and 114 cars.
In 2021, Finland's Wartsila announced its provision of two Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel main engines, two 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines, and the fuel storage and supply system for the Italian ferry. This new addition contributes to the growing number of LNG-powered vessels worldwide.
There are currently 520 LNG-powered ships in operation, with 514 LNG-fueled vessels on order. These figures exclude smaller inland vessels and dual-fuel LNG carriers.
To meet the rising demand for LNG as vessel fuel, Molgas has made significant investments in its LNG bunkering business over the past year. In addition to its debut operation in Italy, Molgas recently concluded its first operations in Belgium and France.
Moreover, Molgas acquired a 45 percent stake in Dutch LNG supplier Titan, with the deal granting Molgas further follow-on rights.