EuropeGas

Maran Gas and Knutsen seal LNG carrier deals in Poland

Maria Angelicoussis-led Maran Gas, a gas shipping unit of Greece’s Angelicoussis Shipping Group, and Norwegian shipping firm Knutsen OAS Shipping will each provide two newbuild liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers to Poland’s PGNiG in a further sign of Europe’s shift away from Russian gas.

The vessels will be built exclusively for PGNiG and will enter service in 2025. Similar to the LNG carriers previously ordered by PGNiG, the vessels will have a capacity of 174,000 cu m and PGNiG Supply & Trading (PST) will be their sole user for 10 years, with an option to extend the charter. Adding the previously chartered carriers, PGNiG’s new LNG fleet will consist of eight vessels, with the first two ships in operation next year.

“The volume of regasified LNG contracted by PGNiG from the United States is currently about 9bn cu m per year, including as much as 7bn cu m under FOB (free on board) contracts, where PGNiG is responsible for collecting, transporting and unloading LNG cargoes at the destination port. Under the charter contracts, we will be able to efficiently supply liquefied natural gas to the Polish market, but also send the LNG carriers to any LNG terminal in the world,’ said Paweł Majewski, president of the PGNiG management board.

PGNiG has also chartered three already built LNG carriers, each with a capacity of around 160,000 cu m, equivalent to about 80m to 90m cu m of regasified LNG. Two of these vessels will be delivered to the company by the end of the first half of 2022, while the third one is to be made available in the second half of the year, allowing PGNiG to purchase LNG under FOB contracts already in 2022.

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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