Image: Eesti Gaas

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Estonia's Eesti Gaas has confirmed that it has placed an order for an LNG bunker vessel which is to operate in the north-east region of the Baltic Sea - predominantly in the Gulf of Finland.

Slated for delivery in September 2020, the vessel will be used to load LNG from regional terminals in the Baltic Sea for distribution in the Baltic area.

The 100-metre-long LGC 6000 supply vessel is to be built by the Dutch shipyard Damen and feature dual-fuel engines and two type-C LNG tanks that will be able to store up to 6,000 cubic metres at -163C.

The tanks and their piping system will be located partly exposed on the deck in a move designed to ensure good access and easy upgrade options as the LNG market develops.

Eesti Gaas's new ice-class 1A vessel will be built to operate all year round in challenging ice conditions, according to Finnish-Swedish ice-class regulations. It will also feature thrusters designed to facilitate enhanced close-quarter manoeuvring.

The vessel will be capable of carrying out bunker activities both in port and off port limits, at designated anchorage points.

Eesti Gaas will operate the LNG bunker vessel under a long-term charter from its parent company and owner of the vessel, Infortar AS. The technical management for the vessel will be provided by Tallink Grupp.

The project is co-funded by the EU via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport initiative.

LNG sourcing

LNG bunker supplier Eesti Gaas has been sourcing its product mainly from Pskov in Russia, and also from Finland and Poland.

At the end of 2017, Eesti Gaas diversified its list of supply sources by inking an agreement with terminal operator Klaipedos Nafta for the supply of LNG from Lithuania. The first delivery took place in December.

The Estonian firm currently performs LNG bunker deliveries using its own fleet of trucks, and is able to supply to clients not only in Estonia, but also in other nearby countries.

The addition of an LNG bunker vessel in 2020 will enable the firm to also offer a ship-to-ship supply service.

M/V Megastar & LNG from Kriogaz

As LNG bunker supplier to Tallink's ro-pax ferry, the M/V Megastar, at the port of Tallinn, Eesti Gaas has been sourcing product from Gazprombank-owned Kriogaz.

Kriogaz purchases natural gas from Gazprom (which has a 35.5414 percent stake in Gazprombank) and sells it to Estonia via its LNG production facility in Russia's Pskov region, which produces more than 20,000 tonnes of LNG per year.

Last year, Eesti Gaas ordered eight modern trucks - each equipped with powerful cryogenic pumps - to transport LNG from Pskov to Estonia.

'Biggest LNG bunker service provider in the region'

Commenting on the new LNG bunker vessel order and the company's market position, Margus Kaasik, member of the management board at Eesti Gaas, said: "Since 2016, Eesti Gaas has expanded its LNG transport and bunkering capacity by entering into a long-term LNG bunker contract with Tallink, whose experience with LNG over the last few years and technical expertise has been extremely valuable in developing the technical concept of the new bunker vessel. Today, we are the biggest LNG bunker service provider in the region and a key promoter of LNG as clean marine fuel."

Key vessel specifications:

LNG cargo tank capacity: ~6000 cbm
Deadweight: 3300 tones
Length: ~ 99.80 metres
Breadth: 18.60 metres
Service speed ~13.40 knots
Delivery: September 2020