Small-scale specialist Avenir LNG is bringing in a new chief executive just over a year after the company's official launch under its current three shareholders.
Avenir chief operating officer Milorad Doljanin will take over from Andrew Pickering as chief executive at the end of next week on 13 December.
Doljanin joined Avenir as COO in August from PetroChina.
Avenir said Doljanin brings 15 years of LNG trading and commercial experience amassed at the Chinese giant, Russia's Gazprom, E.ON - now Uniper and energy major BP.
Doljanin said: “This is an exciting time for Avenir LNG, a company which is uniquely placed to provide LNG to small-scale LNG customers who were previously unable to access the fuel’s environmental and commercial benefits.”
Vision and vineyard
Avenir said Pickering will retire as CEO on 13 December.
Pickering has been with Stolt-Nielsen, who joined forces with Golar LNG and Hoegh LNG on Avenir, for almost 40 years. During the last five years he headed up the LNG group, which led to the launch of Avenir under its current guise in 2018.
Pickering said: “We started with a vision in 2014 and with the commitment of our shareholders built a solid organisation ready for the next phase of LNG distribution. It is with great confidence that I hand over the reins to Milorad."
The outgoing CEO told TradeWinds he will initially will move back to Australia to plant a vineyard, which will take around six years to produce wine quality grapes. But, while he has no other firm plans in shipping at this point, he is "discussing a few options."
Avenir chairman Niels G Stolt-Nielsen thanked Pickering for "the excellent work he has done in establishing Avenir LNG" and said he looked forward to working with Doljanin in continuing to develop the "many exciting opportunities lying ahead" for the company.
Avenir has six small-scale LNG carriers under construction in China, four of which are 7,500-cbm ships and two of 20,000-cbm, all of which are due for delivery in the next 18 months.
The company has fixed the first of its 7,500-cbm ships to Petronas with the second recently tied up to Golar Power.
Avenir says it supplies small-scale LNG to the marine bunkering, off-grid industries, power generation and transport fuel sectors.
In addition to its six ship fleet, Avenir has an LNG import facility under construction in Sardinia, Italy.
