KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 3): The world's largest and first dual-fuelled LNG ISO tank carrier, the Tiger Bintulu, has made Bintulu Port its maiden port of call.

In a statement on Tuesday (Aug 2), Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB) said the 192-metre-long vessel arrived at BPSB's Bintulu International Container Terminal on July 26, carrying 400 units of empty LNG ISO tanks.

The vessel belongs to Tiger Gas Group.

Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Mohammad Medan described the maiden voyage of Tiger Bintulu to BPSB's Bintulu International Container Terminal as another milestone achieved by all the parties involved in the endeavour especially for Tiger Gas, Petronas, Bintulu Port and Sarawak where the Bintulu LNG plant and the deepwater port of Bintulu are located in.

He said Tiger Bintulu's maiden voyage and its frequent calls to Bintulu Port for LNG ISO tank operations will not only secure Bintulu Port's position as the first port in Malaysia to export LNG ISO tanks in a large scale but also will be a game changer to propel Bintulu Port's container volume to potentially its biggest growth to date.

Tiger Gas Group chairman Gerry Wang highlighted the support that Tiger Gas has received from all stakeholders of the collaboration in reaching the milestone and said it will grow stronger moving forward in making LNG more accessible to all.

Mohammad Medan said that to complement its existing container operations fleet and support the LNG ISO tank handling operations, BPSB will be adding one new unit of Quay Crane by the end of the year.

He said Bintulu Port is confident that the efforts made by all parties over the years will not only lead to the establishment of Bintulu as a significant LNG ISO tank hub in the ASEAN region but also a hub that will set the bar and precedence to aspiring LNG ISO tank terminals globally.