The 18,900 m³ units will be delivered in 2028 in China and will contribute to the global expansion of the energy major’s LNG supply network
Singapore – Purus Marine, a company based in Singapore with a fleet of over 70 units in the clean energy and offshore sectors, has announced its entry into the LNG (liquefied natural gas) bunkering market with an order for two new tanker ships in China.
The units, with a capacity of 18,900 m³ and dual-fuel powered, will be built at the Nantong Cimc Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (Soe) shipyard, part of the Cimc Enric group, and will be delivered in 2028.
Both ships have already been chartered long-term by Shell, which is expanding its global LNG bunkering network. Currently, the energy major operates 14 LNG bunker vessels in 28 ports across 13 countries and has another two 18,000 m³ units under construction in South Korea, in collaboration with the Spanish group Ibaizabal, with delivery expected in 2027. According to Dexter Belmar, Shell’s global vice president for downstream LNG, the new ships will strengthen the refueling capacity in strategic hubs such as Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, and Singapore. Belmar added that, with marine LNG demand forecast to exceed 16 million tonnes per year by 2030, these investments will help improve the accessibility of LNG and bio-LNG on a global scale.
The agreement with Purus is part of a broader wave of new orders for Cimc Enric, which has also received orders from GSX Energy for two 20,000 m³ units plus two optional ones, also with delivery in 2028.
