ZIM, Shell complete 1st LNG bunkering in Jamaica

Israel-based ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and Shell North America LNG successfully completed the bunkering of the ZIM Sammy Ofer container vessel with LNG at Kingston Freeport Terminal, ZIM said on March 28. It was the first time a simultaneous operation was completed with LNG bunkering in Jamaican waters.

Kingston, Jamaica is a new LNG bunkering location for Shell, expanding its global LNG bunkering network to 16 locations, across 11 countries. To date, Shell has already achieved over 1,000 ship-to-ship bunkering operations for its customers.

The ZIM Sammy Ofer is the first in a series of ten 15,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships that ZIM plans to deploy on their ZIM Container Service Pacific trade line. For these vessels, ZIM recently signed a ten-year marine LNG sales and purchase agreement with Shell.

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has supported Shell and ZIM in enabling LNG bunkering in Jamaica.

Equipped with ME-GI (M-type, Electronically Controlled Gas Injection) two-stroke engines, ZIM’s LNG dual-fuelled vessels have the lowest methane slip of around 0.2%, the company said.