Shanghai's Yangshan port upgrades bunkering services

One of the world's largest LNG ship-to-ship bunkering vessels, the Hai Gang Wei Lai, recently transferred 1,588.7 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to the LNG-powered container ship, the Zim Sammy Ofer.

That was while the latter was loading and unloading 3,050 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs – the standard container size – at Shanghai's Yangshan port in East China.

It was the first time Yangshan port refueled such a large international container vessel at the No 4 berth of the port's Guandong wharf, marking a significant upgrade of Yangshan's bunkering services.

The 366-meter long Zim Sammy Ofer, with a capacity of 15,124 TEUs, has adopted the most stringent global emission standards and is a representative of the new generation of low-carbon intelligent ships.

It made its maiden voyage last month and its first refueling was carried out at Yangshan port. It marked the second international container vessel – following a ship operated by French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM – to complete LNG refueling at the port.

According to the maritime safety administration of Yangshan port, a series of operational contingency plans for all emergencies have been  put in place there to guarantee the safe voyages, berthing and  refueling of vessels at the facility.

The port administration has overseen 33 LNG refuelings since March 15, 2022. The total bunker fuel – the fuel that is used to power ships – during that period involved 165,000 cu m and the simultaneous loading and unloading of containers totaled 155,000 TEUs.

This is all part of the administration's wider efforts to help develop a world-class business environment in Shanghai, further sharpen the city's competitiveness as an international shipping hub and consolidate its status in the global logistics supply chain.