Shipowner MOL and energy major charterer Total have scored a world first with the launch of their first large sized LNG bunker vessel in China.

The 18,600-cbm, membrane-type LNGBV, which is named Gas Agility on databases, is the biggest purpose-built unit of its type to be built to date.

The 135-metre long vessel is being constructed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group). It was contracted by MOL against a 10-year plus charter to Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions.

No price has been given for the specialist newbuilding which is rumoured to have cost in the region of $65m to $70m.

Total, which has a tender in the works for a second 18,600-cbm LNGBV, said the ship is designed to be highly manoeuverable and will meet the highest environmental standards thanks to the use of LNG as fuel and complete reliquefaction of boil-off gas.

The LNGBV is due for delivery in 2020 in time to start supplying LNG as bunkers in northern Europe to the first of CMA CGM's nine ultra-large containership newbuildings.

The first of these 23,000-teu vessels, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, was launched last month.

Total signed a contract to supply 300,000-tons of LNG per annum to the ships, which will trade between Asia and Europe, for a period of at least 10 years.

Talk has been circulating in LNG circles that the construction of the LNGBV is running slightly later than planned. But others have said that as long as the ship's delivery dovetails with that of the large boxships a short delay may not be an issue.

Total said the LNGBV's construction is in line with the IMO's move to cut the sulphur content of marine fuels from 2020.

The major flagged up that using LNG as a marine fuel helps to cut sulphur and particulate emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide by 85% and greenhouse gas emissions by around 20%.

Total Marketing & Services president Momar Nguer said:“Developing infrastructure like this giant bunker vessel is essential to allow LNG to become a widely used marine fuel."