Chinese terminal operator Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) and French shipping major CMA CGM have signed an LNG bunkering service deal.
The parties said this new deal represents an important milestone for the cooperation between the two groups and will further enhance their collaboration. This also marks an important milestone in CMA CGM’s energy transition roadmap, as, according to the group, it will be the first shipping line to bunker LNG in China.
Under the agreement, SIPG will provide LNG to CMA CGM’s 15 000 TEU dual-fuel vessels at Yangshan Port. It will do it through the new 20,0000 cubic metres LNG bunker barge.
CMA CGM will deploy 15,000-TEU dual-fuel vessels on its Pearl River Express (PRX) line, which goes from China to the Port of Los Angeles. Also, all ships will be fully operational by the end of 2022.
The agreement is valid from the end of the first quarter of 2022 and will last for ten years.
To sum up, SIPG will provide simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) LNG bunkering service for CMA CGM’s ships going from China to the U.S. at Yangshan Port, through a new LNG bunker barge. The service will be the first operation of its kind in Shanghai port, and even in China.