Norway-based small-scale player Kanfer Shipping is still in talks to find work for its two LNG bunkering vessels and it has now revealed plans to focus on players in Spain and Portugal.
Kanfer revealed in May last year it had contracted Chinese shipyard Taizhou Wuzhou Shipbuilding to build two 6,000-cbm bunkering and distribution vessels and deliver them by the second half of 2023.
The firm also holds an option for two additional vessels.
In October, the small-scale firm said it was “in concrete discussions for chartering these ships to solid counterparts.”
Kanfer now aims to focus on the Mediterranean market, especially Spain and Portugal, according to a Kanfer statement on Thursday.
In order to get closer to this market and some of its key players, the firm signed a memorandum of understanding with family-owned Spanish shipowner Suardiaz but also with Madrid-based shipbroker SSY.
“The purpose of this non-exclusive agreement is exploring opportunities in these markets in order to find charters for small-scale LNG bunkering and distribution ships,” the firm said.
Classification society DNV said this week that owners placed a record number of orders for LNG-powered ships in 2021 as they look to slash emissions and costs.
The 2021 count ended at a net increase of 240 ships, more than the previous four years combined.
This is despite sky-high LNG bunkering prices in the second half of this year and a very slow end to the year with only two LNG-fueled ships ordered in December, DNV said.
