Fluxys, Titan LNG to Build LNG Bunkering Pontoon for Antwerp Port Region

Fluxys and Titan LNG have joined forces to build the FlexFueler 002, a bunkering pontoon to make liquefied natural gas (LNG) more widely available as shipping fuel in the Antwerp port and region.

As informed, the pontoon will be commissioned by mid-2020 and support the shipping industry in its switch to cleaner operations.

The FlexFueler 002 LNG bunkering pontoon will have as its home location Quay 526/528 in the port of Antwerp. Last year, Fluxys obtained a concession to provide LNG bunkering services and currently accommodates truck-to-ship bunkering on the site.

“Our investment in the Antwerp LNG bunkering pontoon marks our commitment to offer concrete solutions to bring the energy transition forward and improve air quality. The pontoon is yet another link we are adding to the logistics chain in Belgium to make LNG more widely available as alternative fuel for ships,” Pascal de Buck, CEO of Fluxys, commented.

Dutch supplier Titan LNG will be the long-term operator of the pontoon.

“The use of LNG as a marine fuel is rapidly growing. We are convinced that the Titan LNG FlexFuelers are the missing link to safe, economical, and speedy LNG delivery in the ARA region. We feel strengthened by our Fluxys partnership and have identified ample opportunities to expand the cooperation in other geographies. With FlexFueler001 and 002 providing back-up for each other, we can provide the operational certainty that ship owners require,” Niels den Nijs, CEO of Titan LNG, said.

FlexFueler 002 is the second Titan LNG developed pontoon of its sort and identical to FlexFueler 001, which will come into service in Amsterdam in approximately 3 months. From its home location, FlexFueler 002 will provide bunkering services throughout the Antwerp port and region to inland waterway vessels and small coasters.

The Port of Antwerp is actively supporting this development to improve local air quality and has commissioned an LNG bunker map showing where ship-to-ship bunkering in the harbor area is supported.

Next to Quay 526/528, G&V and Rolande LNG, Titan LNG’s sister company, will build and operate an LNG fuelling station for heavy duty trucks. The infrastructure will also be used by Fluxys and Titan LNG to provide permanent LNG bunkering services for inland waterway vessels in addition to the current truck-to-ship bunkering option.