The deployment of the highly anticipated New Frontier 2, a state-of-the-art liquified natural gas (LNG) bunkering barge, owned and operated by the esteemed oil major Shell Plc, marked a significant milestone for the industry. Tahir Faruqui, Shell’s head of downstream LNG, announced this momentous occasion through a post on social media.
This groundbreaking vessel, boasting an impressive capacity of 18,000 cubic meters, recently conducted its maiden ship-to-ship bunkering operation in Portland Bight, Jamaica. The Solar Catie, an oil and chemical tanker currently sailing under the flag of Liberia, was the fortunate recipient of the fuel supply as noted by Faruqui.
As part of its ambitious expansion plans in the Americas, Shell considers the New Frontier 2 as the third LNG bunkering ship to join its formidable fleet. In fact, it proudly stands alongside nine other LNG bunkering vessels operating under the Shell banner. Commencing in 2024, the New Frontier 2 will play a pivotal role in fueling LNG-powered ships calling on ports along the U.S. East Coast.
Shell demonstrated further commitment to its LNG bunkering network by recently adding Flushing and Antwerp as additional strategic locations. This brings the total number of LNG bunker network sites to an impressive count of 19 spread across 12 countries.
Reporting by Erik Papke; Editing by Eric Wieser and Michael Kelly
