The LNG-powered cement tanker ‘Greenland’ was christened and launched on Saturday 31 October, at a ceremony hosted by Dutch shipbuilder Ferus Smit.

The christening ceremony was performed by Ase Espeland, partner of Petter Tronstad, CEO of KGJ cement, the company that partly owns the vessel.

Following its christening the cement carrier glided into the water marking its official launching.

M.V. Greenland is a dedicated cement carrier built for the joint venture JT cement, in which Erik Thun AB cooperates with KG Jebsen Cement (KGJ) from Norway. According to Ferus, the vessel will be the first dry cargo vessel ever with an LNG fueled propulsion system, in which a pressurized LNG tank is incorporated inside the hull.

While sailing on LNG, the vessel will meet the most stringent emission criteria, as well as new norms that might be in place in future.

The ship is equipped with a fully automated cement loading and unloading system, based on the principle of fluidization of cement with compressed air. This system enables the cement to be pumped through a completely closed, thus dust free, piping system to shore facilities.