Titan Clean Fuels, part of Molgas Group, has entered into a long-term agreement with shipowner Sogestran Group for the construction, charter and operation of a new 6,000m3 LNG bunker vessel (LNGBV).
Titan is planning to operate the LNGBV throughout the Western Mediterranean. It will be able to load LNG from a series of terminals in the Mediterranean Sea and to offer LNG and LBM (liquified biomethane) bunkering as well as gas-up and cool-down services to all types of LNG fuelled vessels in major Mediterranean ports, including Fos-Marseille, Barcelona and Genoa. This positioning expands the presence of the Molgas Group in the Mediterranean Sea by adding ship-to-ship LNG and LBM bunkering services to its established truck-to-ship and broader onshore downstream LNG distribution capabilities.
The new LNGBV has been jointly developed and designed by the Titan and Sogestran teams to cater to the navigational, operational and commercial characteristics of Western Mediterranean ports, LNG reloading terminals and receiving vessels calling the ports in the region. It will join the Molgas Group’s overall fleet of eight LNG bunker vessels in operation across Northern Europe: six vessels form Titan’s fleet and two trading for Molgas Norway, reflecting the growing maritime demand for LNG and LBM, as well as anticipated future demand for e-methane.
Grégoire Hartig, Commercial Director, Titan, said: “We’re excited to grow our LNG bunker vessel fleet, by expanding our capacity to cater to our clients in terms of bunkering volume and geographical location. LNG and LBM have proven to be the leading alternative fuels as the shipping industry continues its energy transition, and we intend to match this growing demand. We are very much looking forward to Titan, part of Molgas Group, becoming a prime LNG and LBM bunkering supplier in France and the Mediterranean.”
Benoist Grosjean, MD Sogestran Shipping, added: “Co-developing this vessel with Titan has been an exciting challenge. Thanks to our in-house engineering capabilities and the close collaboration established with Titan’s technical teams from the earliest stages of the project, we have been able to design a tailor-made vessel perfectly suited to the operational requirements of the Western Mediterranean. Its low-air-draught design will notably enable it to bunker cruise ships without the use of a pontoon. Moreover, the vessel itself will be LNG/LBM-fuelled, contributing to the decarbonisation of maritime transport.”
Titan and the wider Molgas Group bring over 15 years of experience in safely delivering clean bunker fuels to the maritime industry. Sogestran has been providing conventional marine fuel bunkering services in Marseille, Spain and Algeria for many years, bringing operational and local knowledge to the project. Together, they are said to set a strong foundation for LNG/LBM bunkering services in the Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean Sea became a SOx and PM ECA) in 2025. This reinforces the need for LNG and LBM in the region, because compared with oil-based fuels, these methane pathway fuels can almost eliminate SOx and PM emissions, offer ECA compliance and reduce local pollutants that are harmful to human health.
The vessel will be built by CIMC SOE, a Chinese shipyard specialising in small and medium-sized gas carriers.
Image: Titan and Sogestran sign partnership agreement (source: Molgas)
