Image: Gasum

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Marine fuel supplier Gasum has performed what it claims to be the first ship-to-ship bunker delivery of a blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied biogas (LBG) to a cargo vessel.

The milestone LNG-LBG delivery, which took place on December 16, was conducted by Gasum's LNG bunker vessel Coralius at anchorage outside the Swedish port of Gothenburg.

Receiving the fuel was the M/V Auto Energy - a dual fuel LNG pure car, truck carrier (PCTC) operated by United European Car Carriers (UECC).

A blend consisting of LNG and 10 percent renewable LBG was supplied to the cargo ship, which according to Gasum became the first vessel of its kind to bunker renewable fuel at anchorage ship-to-ship.

Commenting on the news, UECC's CEO Glenn Edvardsen remarked: "With this delivery, UECC further positions itself in the front of the market by demonstrating a bold commitment to the increased uptake of renewable fuels.

"We have made a significant investment in a pioneering solution that recognises our customers' desire for a sustainable logistics partner. We choose this path because we believe in taking the initiative and signify to the market that it's possible to transport your cargo carbon neutrally with UECC."

Jacob Granqvist, Maritime Sales Director at Gasum, commented: "We are very excited to see our first ship-to-ship bunkering with the blend of LNG and LBG go smoothly. We can now perform ship-to-ship bunkering with different blends of LNG and LBG which will open new possibilities for our clients as well as for us to go forward in decarbonizing maritime transport."

UECC - a joint venture between Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and Wallenius Lines - has been actively exploring alternative fuel options and working towards the decarbonation of its cargo fleet for several years.

The contract to build the 181-metre-long Auto Energy and its sister ship the Auto Eco was signed back in March 2014, and when launched the two vessels became the world's first dual-fuel PCTCs and the first car carriers with a main engine able to run on LNG.