TotalEnergies has signed a charter contract with Spanish shipowner Ibaizabal for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunker vessel with a capacity of 18,600 cubic meters, according to a press release.

The addition is expected to enhance TotalEnergies’ global presence in key bunkering hubs, particularly in Oman, where the company is developing the Marsa LNG project for supplying LNG to the shipping sector in the Gulf.

The ship, owned by Ibaizabal, will supply LNG to a diverse range of vessels, including containerships, tankers, large cruise ships and ferries, at TotalEnergies’ LNG bunkering hubs. It is designed to meet the highest technical and environmental standards.

“We are very proud of this agreement with Ibaizabal, which reinforces our position as a main player in LNG bunkering,” said Louise Tricoire, TotalEnergies senior vice president of aviation and marine fuels. “With new LNG-fuelled vessels coming on stream at a rapid pace, we are committed to playing our part in responding to the sector’s increasing demand for this fuel which can help global shipping meet its decarbonization ambitions.”

Jorge Zickermann, CEO of Ibaizabal Group, added: “Ibaizabal is honored to be chosen to carry out this Project as it falls within our strategy of decarbonizing the maritime industry, together with a leading company in the LNG field, while enhancing the already long-term relationship in shipping with TotalEnergies.”

Currently under construction at Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China, the new vessel is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. It will join TotalEnergies’ existing fleet of three LNG bunker vessels: the Gas Agility, positioned in the port of Rotterdam; the Gas Vitality, operating in the Port of Marseille; and the Brassavola, located in the Port of Singapore.