Axpo pens charter deal for LNG bunkering vessel
Axpo, a Swiss energy solutions provider, has sealed a ten-year charter agreement for an LNG bunkering vessel, it announced on August 9. The agreement has been signed with Italy’s Gas and Heat and the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, both leaders in cryogenic storage and vessel conversions.
The vessel will be built in the San Giorgio’s shipyard in Piombino, Italy. Scheduled to set sail in 2025, the LNG bunkering vessel will have a capacity of up to 7,500 m3, engineered to facilitate both ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering.
It boasts of a flexible multi-truck bunkering skid, a creation of Gas and Heat. This technology allows multiple trucks to be loaded simultaneously, reducing bunkering time and enhancing operational efficiency.
The vessel's focus is on LNG, but it holds potential for transporting other eco-friendly fuels like bio-LNG and ammonia, Axpo added.
Operating off the coast of Naples, Italy, the vessel will provide ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering services.