The Administration of the Ports of Sines and the Algarve (APS), located in the Setúbal district, announced today that a ‘ship-to-ship’ operation involved a container ship from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and an LNG supply vessel.
The port authority stated that the operation took place last Friday at the Sines Container Terminal, involving the container ship “MSC Tongo,” which became the “first vessel in Portugal to be refueled with LNG via floating means,” along with the vessel “Avenir Aspiration.”
During this operation, APS reported that “approximately 5,400 cubic meters of LNG, equivalent to 2,376 tons, were transferred while the ship operated at the Sines Container Terminal.”
“The supply was guaranteed by Axpo, a multinational with expertise in ‘ship-to-ship’ operations, supported by the local agent Wilhelmsen Port Services,” it added.
To ensure “the highest safety of the operation,” APS said, it was necessary to comply with “international safety regulations and procedures.”
Involved in the “various stages of the operation” were the crews of both the supply ship and the replenished vessel, the terminal operator (PSA Sines), the port authority, and the maritime authority.
“The collaboration with Reboport was essential for the successful docking maneuver,” emphasized the port administration.
APS highlighted that “natural gas is a crucial transitional fuel in the decarbonization process, with increasing orders for new LNG-powered container ships in the maritime transport sector.”
This operation “demonstrates the Port of Sines’s capacity to supply alternative fuels to ships, promoting lower emissions, which, combined with its strategic location, enhances its integration into green shipping corridors,” it explained.
For the Port of Sines, this operation marks “another step towards consolidating and developing” its “position as a benchmark energy and logistics hub on an international level.”
