Seaspan partners with AES to offer LNG bunkering in Panama Canal

Canada-based ship builder Seaspan and US energy company AES have partnered to provide LNG bunkering services to ships transiting the Panama Canal.

PHOTO: A model of Seaspan’s LNG bunkering vessel which will service the Panama region. Seaspan

The companies will also look into the possibility of offering LNG bunkering services in other locations, which are situated close to the Costa Norte LNG terminal in Colón, Panama.

AES is currently developing a project to expand the Costa Norte LNG terminal to offer LNG bunkering through a new ship-loading facility that is slated to commence operations in November this year.

The ship-loading facility will enable the terminal to offer a range of LNG services including cooldown services for LNG carriers, temporary storage and reloading of LNG, and supply of LNG for bunkering and regional distribution.

A small-scale methane tanker, provided by Seaspan, is due to arrive in Panama, which will make final deliveries of LNG from the ship-loading facility. This will “allow the commercialization of LNG as marine fuel” from the second half of 2024 and eventually in other alternative markets, Seaspan says.

The companies intend “to provide LNG bunkering in the Panama region and lead the way in providing energy transformation opportunities in the global marine sector. Together we will provide low-carbon solutions for ship owners who want to decarbonize their operations and transition to cleaner marine fuels,” Seaspan Energy’s president Ian McIver says.

The deal was signed during the 3rd International LNG Global Forum, which was held in Cartagena, Colombia earlier this week.

By Tuhin Roy

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