Knutsen announces that it has signed a contract with the Italian energy company Edison for the long-term charter of a new 174,000 cubic meter vessel for the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The contract was signed at the shipowner’s headquarters in Haugesund, Norway. The newly built carrier will be constructed by Hanwha Ocean at Geoje (Okpo), in South Korea and will be chartered to Edison’s from 2028.
The new LNG carrier will be built according to the most advanced technological and sustainability standards. It will be equipped with four latest-generation membrane tanks, featuring a high-efficiency insulation system designed to reduce boil-off (the natural evaporation of LNG inside the tanks) and ensure optimal performance during transport. The vessel will be equipped with a dual-fuel propulsion system (LNG and marine diesel), shaft generators for more efficient use of on-board energy, and a full reliquefaction system, which allows for the complete recovery of boil-off gas, optimising consumption and emissions.
The vessel is designed to fully comply with the latest international environmental requirements, including IMO regulations, as well as the new European FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS regulations, allowing it to operate competitively and in perfect alignment with future environmental sustainability standards.
The agreement further consolidates the partnership between Knutsen and Edison and confirms their shared vision for the development of efficient and sustainable energy solutions. The collaboration between the two groups began in 2018 with the construction of a unique 30,000 cubic meter capacity vessel. The Ravenna Knutsen, as the ship is called, is a LNG carrier with extreme operational flexibility used by the Group to supply the Corsini port in Ravenna with a small-scale depot dedicated to sustainable mobility and to refuel (bunkering) other ships with LNG. Its configuration allows it to adapt to different types of storage facilities and vessels, which is why it has also been used to supply coastal regasification terminals during recent energy crises.
