Fluxys and Titan LNG have joined forces to build the FlexFueler 002, a bunkering pontoon to make LNG more widely available as shipping fuel in the Antwerp port and region. The pontoon, which will be located at Quay 526/528, will be commissioned by mid-2020 and support the shipping industry in its switch to cleaner operations. Titan LNG will be the long-term operator of the FlexFueler 002, which is the company’s second developed pontoon and identical to the FlexFueler 001 that will soon come into service in Amsterdam.
Fluxys has a concession to provide LNG bunkering services at Quay 526/528 in the port of Antwerp and currently accommodates truck-to-ship bunkering on the site. At this Quay, the FlexFueler 002 will provide bunkering services throughout the Antwerp port and region to inland waterway vessels and small coasters. The Port of Antwerp is actively supporting this development to improve local air quality and has commissioned an LNG bunker map showing where ship-to-ship bunkering in the harbor area is supported.
Next to Quay 526/528, G&V and Rolande LNG, Titan LNG’s sister company, will build and operate an LNG fueling station for heavy duty trucks. The infrastructure will also be used by Fluxys and Titan LNG to provide at Quay 526/528 permanent LNG bunkering services for inland waterway vessels in addition to the current truck-to-ship bunkering option.
Pascal de Buck, CEO of Fluxys said: “Our investment in the Antwerp LNG bunkering pontoon marks our commitment to offer concrete solutions to bring the energy transition forward and improve air quality. The pontoon is yet another link we are adding to the logistics chain in Belgium to make LNG more widely available as alternative fuel for ships. We are pleased to work with Titan LNG and combining Fluxys’ LNG experience of decades with Titan’s operational experience to contribute to the adoption of LNG in transportation fuel markets.”
Niels den Nijs, CEO of Titan LNG added: “The use of LNG as a marine fuel is rapidly growing. We are convinced that the Titan LNG FlexFuelers are the missing link to safe, economical, and speedy LNG delivery in the ARA region. We feel strengthened by our Fluxys partnership and have identified ample opportunities to expand the cooperation in other geographies. With FlexFueler001 and 002 providing back-up for each other, we can provide the operational certainty that ship owners require.”
Source: Fluxys/Titan LNG
