Keppel Singmarine, a fully-owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine (O&M), has secured a deal from Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime to build two dual-fuel diesel liquefied natural gas (LNG) tugs for each of the companies.
Keppel O&M has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) to jointly explore opportunities in using LNG as fuel in coastal areas, inland waterways and global marine sectors.
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Scheduled to be completed by 2018, the two tugs will receive bunkering services from FueLNG, a new 50-50 joint venture owned by Keppel and Shell.
Under separate deals, Shell will supply the LNG fuel to both Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime over a period of ten years.
As part of its LNG bunkering pilot programme (LBPP), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore will also grant a sum of S$2m ($1.4m) to co-fund the tugs, which will feature Keppel's proprietary design.
Keppel Offshore & Marine CEO Chow Yew Yuen said: "We are happy to secure orders to build our first two dual-fuel tugs which will be built to Keppel's award-winning proprietary designs.
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By GlobalData“Keppel has a strong in-house research and development (R&D) unit that has developed innovative designs including LNG carriers and barges to meet the maritime industry's needs as the demand for green solutions and LNG rises.
“Combining this R&D capability with our rich shipyard expertise, we will continue to seize opportunities along the LNG value chain and help owners deliver LNG efficiently to end markets."
Last month, Keppel O&M subsidiary Keppel FELS delivered a fifth high-specification accommodation semisubmersible (semi), Floatel Triumph, to Floatel International (Floatel).
