The LNG bunkering operator, Peninsula, has received an LNG Bunker Operator License for its newly constructed LNG bunker vessel, named “LEVANTE LNG,” from the Government of Gibraltar.
The order for the LEVANTE LNG was placed in 2021 at South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo shipyard. This purpose-built vessel boasts a 12,500 cubic meter capacity, measures 436 feet in length, and has a deadweight tonnage of 8,540. Launched in February of this year, it is jointly owned by Scale Gas and Peninsula, with an initial charter period of 7 years to Peninsula.
John A. Bassadone, the CEO of Peninsula, emphasized that operating their LNG vessel in the Strait of Gibraltar will introduce environmentally friendly solutions for vessels entering and leaving the Mediterranean region. He has further stated that the LNG-propelled vessel order book is looking very healthy and that they want to offer solutions to those customers taking a proactive step towards decarbonization.
Peninsula has partnered with Scale Gas, a subsidiary of Spain’s Enagas, to secure their supply of LNG. As a result, the LEVANTE LNG will be loaded at Enagas’s terminals in Spain.
The Gibraltar Port Authority anticipates commencing operations shortly as the vessel has arrived and all necessary documentation and licenses are secured. Peninsula’s new LNG bunker vessel will offer LNG bunkering services in both the Gibraltar Strait and other Mediterranean ports.
