HAVING carried out the simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) bunkering on LNG-powered Containerships Nord in the Port of Rotterdam, the vessel became the first container carrier performing SIMOPS in Europe by means of ship-to-ship bunkering.

SIMOPS bunkering allows for the concomitant bunkering of Liquefied natural gas and execution of loading and unloading procedures

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Containerships, part of CMA CGM, worked closely with Shell its bunker supplier, the Port of Rotterdam and with the RST Terminal. The vessel received approximately 200 tonnes of LNG.

“This unprecedented achievement paves the way for this procedure to be performed on other LNG-powered vessels, including the recently delivered Containerships Polar, the sister ship of Containerships Nord,” Containerships said.

“Thanks to SIMOPS, the ship’s stay in the port can be reduced significantly and operational delays avoided. Therefore, transit times can be reduced, offering CMA CGM Group customers a highly reliable and fast connection between northern Europe and the Baltics.”

CMA CGM is set to take delivery of 20 LNG-powered vessels by 2022, including nine 22,000-TEU ships which are scheduled to be delivered from 2020.