Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P), a Singapore-based downstream gas and LNG logistics company, has made an equity investment in LNG vessel developer Kanfer Shipping.

Based in Norway, Kanfer Shipping develops small-scale LNG sea transportation, floating storage facilities, maritime break-bulk solutions, and also LNG bunkering.

Through their partnership, Kanfer Shipping and Atlantic Gulf & Pacific expect to make LNG more accessible and commercially viable for downstream customers across new and emerging natural gas markets.

Stig Anders Hagen – Kanfer Shipping Managing Partner said: “We have worked long and hard at Kanfer to find a real solution to the LNG virtual pipeline – one that stands on its commercial and technical merits. Now, we are honored to be partnered with AG&P, a global trailblazer in LNG solutions and gas logistics.

“Together, we will reduce the cost of LNG infrastructure through Kanfer’s innovative solutions and provide a more robust solution to improve availability and accessibility. I am very excited about the possibilities.”

Kanfer Shipping is said to have developed a unique barge design that makes breaking bulk cargoes of LNG easier, quicker and more efficient.

The company’s small-scale solution uses the Detachable Stern Vessel (DSV) design to develop an advanced version of the widely used articulated tug barge (ATB). Kanfer Shipping’s DSV is claimed to efficiently transport LNG to and from an FSU, FSRU or land-based LNG terminals through a small and maneuverable barge that delivers LNG to drop-points up rivers and along coasts.

The Detachable Stern Vessel can also navigate rivers and coastlines easily, including in bad weather conditions and difficult sea states compared to traditional articulated tug barges. The vessel’s shallow draft is said to enable access to gas-starved downstream customers looking for a cleaner and lower cost fuel source by minimizing onerous marine infrastructure.

The advantages of the Detachable Stern Vessel provide new LNG service for smaller demand centers or for larger demand centers in places that have less accessibility, said Atlantic Gulf & Pacific.

Karthik Sathyamoorthy, Atlantic Gulf & Pacific President of LNG Terminals and Logistics said: “AG&P’s goal is to bring LNG to new markets. One of the missing links has been the capability to break-bulk LNG affordably. Kanfer’s designs unlock these new markets and solve a critical gap in the LNG supply chain for nascent and growing markets.

“We are thus delighted to bring Kanfer Shipping into AG&P’s group of companies. Under Stig Hagen’s visionary leadership, Kanfer has brought new and exciting solutions to the maritime industry that provide a compelling alternative to traditional, capital-intensive onshore LNG facilities.”

  Atlantic Gulf & Pacific, Karthik Sathyamoorthy, Norway, Singapore, Stig Anders Hagen