Total signed an agreement to charter its first two LNG-powered very large crude carriers (VLCCs), capable of carrying 300,000 tons of crude oil each.
The VLCCs, to be chartered from Malaysian shipowner AET, will be delivered in 2022 and will join the time-chartered fleet of Total. LNG supply for the VLCCs will be provided by Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions.
Total said the vessels were designed with LNG propulsion to benefit from reduced greenhouse gas emissions and with the latest technologies to further lower their consumption.
“With this decision, we reaffirm today our positive contribution to a sustainable shipping industry and our commitment to extend the use of LNG as a clean marine fuel,” Luc Gillet, Total’s senior vice president of hipping, said.