Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG) has completed its first small scale LNG reload at its terminal on Singapore’s Jurong Island, setting the stage for Singapore to expand on LNG bunkering and transhipment activities.

The LNG gas-up/cool-down and reload operation was carried out from 18-20 June for the newly-built 6,500 cu m Cardissa, a LNG bunker vessel owned by Shell and co-financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility that will serve customers in Northwest Europe.

Prior to this, the smallest LNG carrier that had called at the SLNG terminal for unloading or reloading was about 65,000 cu m in size.

“The successful completion of our first small scale LNG reload operation is significant as it demonstrates the SLNG terminal’s ability to play the role of LNG supply hub for the region,” said John Ng, ceo of SLNG.

“The terminal is able to break LNG cargoes into smaller parcels and facilitate deliveries of small volumes of LNG to other terminals in the region, or as bunker fuel to ships in our port,” Ng said.

He added that SLNG is already looking ahead to further enhance its capabilities in this area by exploring possible modifications to its secondary jetty to accommodate LNG vessels as small as 2,000 cu m.

“This is expected to come onstream in 2019,” Ng said.

The secondary jetty is originally designed to accommodate LNG vessels from 60,000 cu m to 265,000 cu m in size.

Source: Lee Hong Liang, Seatrade Maritime