Qatar Studying Ways to Bring More Q-Fleet Vessels to Use LNG as Fuel

Qatar is studying ways of converting more vessels that are part of the Q-Fleet to use LNG as fuel, a Nakilat official said Tuesday.

Nakilat fleet management director Samir Bailouni said international shipping community is facing a challenge to find alternative fuel, Gulf Times reported.

Currently, Q-Max vessel ‘Rasheeda’ is the only ship in the Qatari Q-Fleet to use LNG as fuel after it was retrofitted in 2015 with the gas-burning M-Type Electronically Controlled – Gas Injection (ME-GI) systems, which have now been successfully commissioned.

“At the moment there are no plans to convert more vessels but there is a study, which is in cooperation and total coordination with our charters: Qatargas and RasGas. It is not our sole decision, but it is also a decision by our charters,” Gulf Times quoted Bailouni as saying.

Earlier this year, Qatargas, the Maersk Group and Shell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of LNG as a marine fuel in the Middle East region.

Through the joint relationship the partners plan to explore the development of new markets for LNG to be used as propulsion fuel for merchant vessels. The memorandum envisages LNG supplies for this initiative to be made available from Qatargas 4, a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Shell Gas B.V., with Maersk Line potentially using the fuel for its merchant vessels.