ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd and Shell North America LNG LLC have announced the successful bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER container vessel with LNG. This vessel was bunkered at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) on 26 March 2023.

This was a milestone operation for a number of reasons:

  • It was the first time a simultaneous operation (SIMOPS) was completed with LNG bunkering in Jamaican waters.
  • Kingston, Jamaica, is a new LNG bunkering location for Shell, expanding its global LNG bunkering network to 16 locations, across 11 countries. To date, Shell has already achieved over 1000 safe ship-to-ship bunkering operations to its customers.
  • The ZIM SAMMY OFER is the first in a series of 10, 15 000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships which ZIM plans to deploy on their ZCP trade line.
  • For these vessels, ZIM recently signed a 10-year marine LNG sales and purchase agreement with Shell.

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has supported Shell and ZIM in enabling LNG bunkering in Jamaica.

“We are proud to be able to offer and promote LNG bunkering in Jamaica,” said Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director-General at Maritime Authority of Jamaica. “Decarbonisation of the shipping industry is critical and, being readily available today, LNG is a key part of the transition to lower-carbon marine fuels. This offering will not only grow local businesses but also encourage companies to embrace emissions reduction solutions.”

David Arbel, ZIM EVP COO, added: “The safe and efficient LNG bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER is a great achievement for all parties involved. This is the first vessel in our growing LNG-powered fleet that will enable ZIM to be more carbon and cost efficient, thereby improving our competitive position, particularly on the strategic Asia to USEC trade, and allowing customers to reduce their carbon footprint. Equipped with M-type, electronically controlled gas injection (ME-GI) two-stroke engines, ZIM’s LNG dual-fuelled vessels have the lowest methane slip of around 0.2%, a testament of ZIM’s commitment to decarbonise its fleet.”

Tahir Faruqui, General Manager, Head of Downstream LNG at Shell, concluded: “This landmark bunkering safely completed in collaboration with ZIM and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica expands our LNG bunkering network to the Caribbean. With every new bunkering location added to our footprint, we are demonstrating the role for LNG as the lowest-carbon fuel available at scale today.”