Mombasa receives first-ever natural gas-powered ship

The Mombasa Port received its first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered ship during the festive season, highlighting its capacity to handle next-generation, eco-friendly vessels.

The Norwegian-flagged vehicle carrier Höegh Australis arrived from Singapore as global maritime transport shifts toward cleaner energy solutions.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Chief Pilot Captain Suleiman Bakari hailed the historic docking of the ship in an East African port, terming it a major milestone for the region.

The vessel, which measures 200 metres in length and 37.84 metres in width, has a capacity of 9,304 vehicles across 16 decks.

It sailed from Singapore and is set to discharge 824 motor vehicles and accessories destined for Kenya and neighbouring landlocked countries.

The one-year-old Roll-On/Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) ship operates on 98 per cent LNG fuel, using only two per cent conventional bunker fuel during engine start-up and specific operations, significantly reducing emissions compared to traditional marine fuel.

Bakari, who guided the vessel from the outer anchorage to berth number one while representing KPA Managing Director William Ruto, described Höegh Australis as the largest vessel ever to dock at a Kenyan port and commended its advanced green technology.

“This sits very well with the green port policy of KPA, which is aligned to Kenya’s national clean energy objectives,” said Bakari, commending Höegh Autoliners for trusting KPA to handle the vessel safely.

He reaffirmed KPA’s commitment to providing quality service to shipping and logistics firms.

Globally, LNG-powered vessels are increasingly being adopted in response to stricter International Maritime Organisation (IMO) environmental regulations, as LNG significantly reduces sulphur oxides, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide emissions compared to heavy fuel oil.

Ship agent Socopao Kenya Ltd regional manager Satish Nair said the vessel’s arrival was a key milestone and urged stakeholders to embrace green energy, noting that LNG-powered ships have extremely low emissions.

Vessel captain Edgar Paul thanked KPA pilots for safely and smoothly guiding the ship to berth, noting that it was his first command of the LNG-powered vessel and his first call at the Port of Mombasa.