KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) through its Petronas Marine brand has successfully conducted the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation via its LNG bunker vessel (LBV) MV Avenir Advantage at the Pintu Gedung anchorage, Port Klang.

Petronas said in a statement today that the operation enabled MV Solar Roma, a Liberian Tanker en route to the Mediterranean, to complete its LNG bunker transfer of 865m³ sourced from the Petronas Energy and Gas Trading business in less than 12 hours upon its arrival at the anchorage.

Head of Petronas Marine Emry Mohd Tamrin said the expansion of this operation will further strengthen the group’s presence and position it ahead of the curve to capture the growing market of bunkering solutions.

“In line with our aspiration to be a one-stop marine fuel solution partner, we are pleased to have the support of port authorities to offer cleaner fuel for the marine industry,” he said.

He also said the Petronas LNG bunkering business is a reflection of the group’s commitment to sustainability as a progressive energy and solution partner, and supports the International Maritime Organization (IMO) goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This latest LNG bunkering solution is designed to capture the end-to-end market as well as meet its customer and regional demands in providing cleaner energy, he added.

According to the statement, the 7,500m³ MV Avenir Advantage is the first dedicated LBV serving customers in Southeast Asia and used to promote LNG as a cleaner marine fuel in Pasir Gudang, Johor.