Trafigura Orders Dual-Fuel VLGC Pair from South Korea

Commodities trading giant Trafigura has confirmed it is behind an order for two very large gas carriers (VLGC) at South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

As disclosed by a company spokesperson, the VLGCs will be able to burn either LPG or compliant fuel in the engine.

“The vessels will deliver in mid-2021 and are intended to form part of our current shipping and trading program,” the spokesperson said.

The scrubber-fitted VLGCs have a reported value of around USD 82 million each.

The vessel order follows Trafigura’s investment in a joint venture that would establish a global supplier of marine fuels. Set up with Norwegian dry bulk shipping company Golden Ocean and tanker shipping company Frontline, the JV is to start operations in the third quarter of 2019.

Frontline and Trafigura have also hammered out a deal that would see Frontline purchase ten 2019-built Suezmax tankers from Trafigura. All ten 158,000 dwt ships are fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems and were built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

World Maritime News Staff