Asian shipping hub Hong Kong and the UK channel port of Portsmouth have successfully hosted their inaugural LNG bunkering operations, according to TradeWinds.
In Hong Kong, the 8,500-cbm LNG bunker vessel Xin Ao Pu Tuo Hao supplied LNG to the Zim-owned 8,200-teu LNG dual-fuel container ship Zim Amber at South Cheung Chau Anchorage, with an estimated 5,000 cubic meters of LNG transferred.
In the UK, the 6,000-cbm LNGBV Optimus delivered LNG to Brittany Ferries' new 1,310-passenger, LNG hybrid-electric ferry Saint-Malo, marking Portsmouth's first LNG bunkering operation.
These developments come as Taiwanese liner company Evergreen Marine Corp. is reportedly reconsidering its fuel choice for an upcoming series of 11 ultra-large container ships, potentially favoring LNG over methanol.
According to classification society DNV, 641 LNG-fueled ships were in operation at the end of 2024, a figure expected to double by the end of the decade as newbuilds are delivered.