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The largest natural gas distribution company in Quebec, Gaz Metro, and the Port of Montreal have announced that, following this week's delivery of the world's first LNG-fuelled asphalt-bitumen tanker, the M/T Damia Desgagnes, an LNG bunker supply service is to be made available to shipowners in Quebec, including fleets passing through the port of Montreal.

Desgagnes christened and launched the M/T Damia Desgagnes on Thursday. The next-generation tanker is the first of a series of four carriers custom-built according to an original concept developed by Desgagnes and ordered at the Besiktas shipyard near Istanbul, Turkey.

The 15,000-deadweight-tonne, double-hulled vessel is equipped with a Wartsila 5RT-flex 50DF engine and a power output of 5,450 kilowatts (kW). It can be powered by either heavy fuel oil, marine distillate fuel or LNG.

"I would like to commend the leadership and vision of Groupe Desgagnes, which was the first commercial shipowner to order vessels destined to navigate in Quebec able to use LNG as marine fuel. Quebec can be proud to have Groupe Desgagnes among its visionary companies," said Sophie Brochu, president and chief executive officer of Gaz Metro.

"I praise Groupe Desgagnes' forward thinking, which is very inspiring for Quebec's maritime industry," emphasized Sylvie Vachon. "The Port of Montreal shares this vision to exercise positive leadership in sustainable development practices and, in this context, the LNG fuel supply solution that will be available on our docks is another significant and concrete action toward making commercial shipping even more environmentally friendly."

Gaz Metro's liquefaction plant in Montreal - the only one of its kind in Eastern Canada - has a total annual LNG production capacity of more than nine billion cubic feet.

Last month, Gaz Metro confirmed the completion of a project - originally announced in September 2014 - to equip the plant with new loading facilities and a liquefaction train that would triple the total annual LNG production and deliveries.

As previously reported by Bunker Index in 2015, Gaz Metro supplies LNG to the F.A. Gauthier, which is operated by Societe des traversiers du Quebec (STQ). It was the first ferry to run on LNG in North America and the first ship of any kind to run on LNG in Canada.

Image: A Gaz Metro LNG truck performing operations at a storage facility.