Qatar: Green Award Certifies First LNG Tanker

On 14th October 2011, the Green Award Foundation marked the occasion, for the first time in its 18 year history, it has a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier on its list of certified ships. The LNG ship “DUKHAN” is chartered by Qatargas, the world’s largest LNG producing company.

In recognition of this milestone the Green Award Foundation handed over the first certificate to the MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd. in an official ceremony at the Port of Ras Laffan on Friday 14th October, 2011.

The DUKHAN (72.533 DWT), is managed by London based MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd, a MOL Group company.  The DUKHAN is on long term charter to Qatargas.  The decision to bring LNG carriers into the Green Award programme came from an initiative from and was strongly supported earlier this year by Qatargas.

The management and the crew of DUKHAN are very proud of the ship and the crew having met the stringent Green Award requirements related to quality, safety, environment, management and technical aspects.

Green Award certifies ships that are extra clean and extra safe. Ships with a Green Award certificate go above and beyond the set standards in cleanliness and safety and reap various financial and non-financial benefits. From Tallinn to Tokyo and from Venice to Vancouver: the Green Award Foundation is active all over the world with the certification scheme open to oil tankers and dry bulk carriers from 20.000 DWT and upwards, LNG carriers and inland navigation vessels.

MOL established a LNG division in London in 2003. Initially the LNG carriers were managed by MOL’s oil tanker ship management company, MOL Tankship-Europe. However, the business expanded to include more ships using new technology.  This in turn required special training programmes and ever-higher customer expectations for seafarer quality and vessel management, was the reason MOL decided to form a separate ship management company in Europe focusing exclusively on LNG carriers.

One of the MOL Group Corporate Principles is the promotion and protection of the environment by maintaining strict, safe operation and navigation standards. MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd., manages 15 LNG carriers at present with a further four new vessels on order in China. Green Award certification is a logical step that fits within the corporate principles of the company.

DUKHAN is classed by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK or ClassNK).

Capt. Ed Carr, Managing Director, accepted the certificate on behalf of MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd.

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Source: Green Award, October 19, 2011