*Nakilat’s LPG vessels have transited through the newly expanded Panama Canal some 16 times while its joint-venture conventional LNG vessels completed as many as 38 transits

Nakilat’s LPG vessels have transited through the newly expanded Panama Canal some 16 times, while its joint-venture conventional LNG vessels have completed as many as 38 transits.

As one of the world’s leading transporter of clean energy, Nakilat’s fleet of 70 vessels deliver to more than 26 countries across the world.

Its four very large LPG carriers (VLGCs) delivered 1,344,767MT (2,428,694 cbm) of gas to international markets in 2018, with most of them utilising the newly expanded Panama Canal to reduce voyage durations.

The Panama Canal is one of the most commonly traversed waterways connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Its expansion in 2016 allowed for bigger vessels (Neopanamax) such as LNG carriers to now transit through the canal locks as they make their journey from the East to the West and vice versa.

The passage through the canal allows vessels to shorten their voyage by about 13,000km or 7,000 nautical miles, leading to shorter delivery times as well as operational cost savings.

“The flexibility of going through the new Panama Canal not only enables Nakilat to widen its international outreach and cement its position as a global leader of energy transportation, but also allows us to exceed customer satisfaction,” a company release on Tuesday said.

Nakilat has conducted compatibility studies and thorough assessments of Q-Flex class LNG carriers on safely transiting through the new locks in the near future.

Nakilat is a Qatari LNG transport company providing an essential transportation link in Qatar’s LNG supply chain. Its LNG shipping fleet is the largest in the world.

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