Titan locks horns with Shell over newbuilding order for conventional fuelled tankers

LNG bunker fuel supplier Titan on Thursday (17 October) has slammed energy giant Shell for its recent decision to order 10 conventional marine-fuelled product tankers fitted with scrubbers.

Titan said the move seemed “to contrast the agenda” both companies were pushing for, to make the maritime industry cleaner by investing in bunkering infrastructure to accommodate the decarbonisation of shipping.

“Shell, are you forfeiting your right to be a leader of the energy transition? With great power comes great responsibility,” it said in a social media post. 

“You carefully positioned yourself as an industry leader in the movement towards more sustainable and cleaner marine fuels. With your size, you hugely influence the industry and are a strong advocate for LNG as a marine fuel,” it said, adding that it was “surprised” when it saw a news report on the move. 

Given Shell’s leadership role, Titan said the decision raised questions about how it aligned with the company’s commitment to decarbonisation. 

“We’re genuinely interested in hearing more about your strategy for balancing these choices and how you view the LNG pathway in the bigger picture,” it said. 

It also said that Shell, adding more scrubber-fitted conventional fuel tankers to the current fleet sends a “strange signal” to the industry. 

“At Titan, we remain fully committed to driving this transition forward, offering a reliable supply of LNG, bio-LNG, and soon e-LNG to those already leading the way. Our focus remains on putting clean fuel into every ship,” Titan said. 

“Let’s continue pushing the boundaries and make sure shipping doesn’t take a step back.”

Photo credit: Titan
Published: 18 October 2024