The United Arab Emirates’ and the Middle East region’s first LNG bunkering has been carried out on January 4 at Dubai Harbour Cruise terminal B together with Costa Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation, according to Danish-based global bunker supplier and tanker specialist Monjasa.
On this occasion, the Monjasa operated LBV Green Zeebrugge went alongside the Costa Smeralda (185,000 GT) cruise line vessel and successfully delivered around 3,000 cubic meters of LNG.
Monjasa on December 18 initially announced the charter of the LBV, Green Zeebrugge (5,000 cubic metres), for operations in the United Arab Emirates.
About a week later, on December 26, Green Zeebrugge arrived in Dubai waters following the departure from Amsterdam in November.
The vessel was inspected by the authorities in Port Rashid on December 27, Monjasa said, and the official bunkering permits were issued to Monjasa by the Dubai maritime authority and Dubai ports authority.
Anders Østergaard, Monjasa Group CEO, said: “We are excited about this first successful supply operation and to pioneer LNG as a new marine fuel option in the UAE. However, reaching this milestone was only possible through the close collaboration of our forward-thinking partners at Carnival and Costa Cruises, ADNOC L&S and the UAE’s federal and local authorities, who are constantly embracing maritime innovation.”
At the same time, ADNOC Logistics and Services, a global energy maritime logistics expert, has agreed chartering out a suitable LNG carrier to Monjasa for a period of nine months as a floating storage unit (FSU).
“Through this unwavering support from ADNOC L&S, Monjasa welcomes the Shandong Juniper (72,740 dwt), which will join the Monjasa fleet by mid-January 2025,” the company’s statement reads.
“By serving as FSU and performing cargo operations, the Singapore-flagged Shandong Juniper becomes a key component in tying together Monjasa’s new operations,” it added.
