Knutsen Group has taken delivery of Zoe Knutsen, a 174,000-cbm LNG carrier that concludes a nine-ship newbuild program for long-term charter to Shell, according to the company's release.
The vessel will sail under the French flag and be owned and managed from Knutsen’s Nantes office, according to the company.
“Today is a significant milestone…with delivery of our last 174,000m3 vessel in this long serie chartered to our long term client SHELL. ZOE KNUTSEN is entering in the French Fleet, owned and managed from the Nantes office,” Knutsen LNG France wrote.
The handover follows a June 25 naming ceremony at HD Hyundai Samho in Mokpo, South Korea, where Knutsen and Shell marked the completion of the program.
Community databases show Marseille as home port and HD Hyundai Samho as builder.
Zoe Knutsen is the ninth and final vessel in Knutsen’s 174,000-cbm Shell-chartered series, which began with Santander Knutsen in June 2022 and included Malaga Knutsen, Alicante Knutsen, Huelva Knutsen, Ferrol Knutsen, Extremadura Knutsen, Paris Knutsen and Nantes Knutsen. All were built at HD Hyundai Samho and equipped with energy-efficiency features such as WinGD dual-fuel X-DF engines, GTT Mark III Flex containment systems, boil-off management, shaft generators, and air-lubrication systems, though specifications varied across the hulls.
Knutsen Group is a Norwegian shipping company headquartered in Haugesund. It is structured as a major operator in shuttle tankers and LNG carriers, with subsidiaries managing fleets under different flags. Its French affiliate, Knutsen LNG France, based in Nantes, oversees vessels sailing under the French International Register for charters with European energy companies.
Shell plc is a British multinational energy company headquartered in London and registered in the United Kingdom. It is organized as a public limited company and is among the world’s largest integrated oil and gas enterprises, with businesses spanning upstream exploration, liquefied natural gas, refining, marketing, and renewable energy.
HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. is a South Korean shipbuilding company based in Mokpo and part of HD Hyundai Group.