Energy company World Fuel Services Corporation has conducted a liquified natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation in China, supplying LNG for Hapag-Lloyd’s 23,660 TEU containership Berlin Express. With the support of both the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port authority and local supplier CNOOC, dual-fuel Berlin Express took delivery of 6,000 cubic meters of bonded LNG fuel in an operation that lasted around 20 hours.
Each of the vessels in the Hamburg Express class measure 1,309 feet in length with a 200-foot beam. The 23,664 TEU capacity has 1,500 reefer slots. The vessels can achieve a speed of 22 knots using MAN B&W engines and they were outfitted with an 18,650 cbm Type B LNG tank, sufficient for a complete Europe-Asia-Europe roundtrip.
Ti Korea completed the installation with the insulation designed & manufactured by partnering company Ti China, more than 5,000 tailor made insulation panels were manufactured, shipped and installed on the surface of the Type B LNG Tank.
The Berlin Express was delivered to Hapag on June 13, 2023, German First Lady Elke Büdenbender did the honours of naming the vessel. The second ship of the class, the Manila Express, was named in South Korea on August 3 2023, and handed over to Hapag. She was followed by one more ship in 2023, the Hanoi Express.
In March 2024, The Busan Express was named in South Korea & successfully delivered to the client.
The future ships are named for Singapore, Damietta, Hamburg, Gdansk, Bangkok, Rotterdam, Genova, and Wilhelmshaven
