The latest in the line of foreign shipping companies to sail vessels powered by alternative energy into Nigeria’s seaports is Gold Star Line, which berths its first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership, the MV Sapphire, at APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos.
The vessel, built in 2024, sails under the flag of Singapore, with a capacity of 7,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Todd Rives, managing director of Lagos and Niger Shipping Agency Limited (LANSAL), which represents Gold Star Line in Nigeria, said the arrival of the MV Sapphire is part of efforts to reduce voyage costs, promote operational efficiency, and reinforce environmental sustainability.
The Gold Star Line, incorporated in 1958, is one of the oldest shipping agencies operating in Nigeria. Rives said the vessel starts off a new era in Nigerian maritime trade, with an expectation that sister ships would also call at the port in the near future.
Kayode Daniel, commercial manager of APM Terminals Apapa, explained that shipping lines globally are working together to reduce emissions, in line with international sustainability targets, appreciating LANSAL for deploying LNG-powered vessels in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Adebowale Lawal, the port manager of the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, said that LNG vessels are critical in addressing the challenges of climate change, while at the same time reducing costs and driving economies of scale. He assured stakeholders that of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s full involvement in the development.
The arrival of the MV Sapphire comes just months after Apapa welcomed its first LNG-powered vessel, the Kota Oasis, a 260-metre containership with a gross tonnage of 77,850.
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