DOHA: Qatargas Q-Max liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier "Mozah" carrying 135,400 cubic metres of LNG bound for South Hook LNG Terminal in Milford Haven, Wales transited Suez Canal yesterday.
A ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Suez Canal Authority in Ismaila, Egypt to mark the occasion.
The ceremony was attended from the Qatargas side by Ahmed Al Khulaifi, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial and Shipping and Abdullah Al Sulaiti, Shipping Manager. The Suez Canal Authority was represented by its Chairman Ahmed Fadel and other senior officials. During the ceremony, Al Khulaifi presented a memento to Fadel to commemorate the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Al Khulaifi said: "This is indeed a momentous occasion and we are extremely proud of this achievement today; it truly represents another milestone. The Q-Max "Mozah" is one of the new generation Q-Max LNG carriers and currently the largest to pass the canal."
The Suez Canal is Qatargas' gateway to markets in Europe and the United States and plays a crucial role in helping to create energy diversity in those markets, Qatargas said in a statement.
"Today's celebration is testament to the dedication and hard work of all our associates. We appreciate the excellent cooperation being extended to us by the Suez Canal Authority and look forward to continuing our strong relations for the long term future," Al Khulaifi said.
The LNG carrier "Mozah" is the first of the new generation Q-Max LNG carriers and was delivered in September last year. Wholly owned by Nakilat, the vessel will be on long term charter to Qatargas and will be used to ship LNG produced by Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (II), known as Qatargas 2, to customers in Europe
With a capacity of 266,000 cubic meters, the Q-Max LNG carriers are the largest in the world with 80 percent more capacity than conventional LNG carriers and about 40 percent lower energy requirements due to the economies of scale created by their size and the efficiency of the engines.
© The Peninsula 2009
