The pioneer LNG-powered container vessel, Gold Star Line’s MV Sapphire, has berthed at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos, in a great milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Built in 2024 and registered in Singapore, the vessel is able to carry 7,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Equipped with its innovative LNG propulsion system, MV Sapphire marks a significant achievement for environmentally friendly shipping operations in Nigeria and by extension the wider West African continent.
Delivering a speech at the event, Todd Rives, managing director of Lagos and Niger Shipping Agency Limited (LANSAL), Gold Star Line’s Nigerian representative, referred to the berthing as a milestone achievement. He explained that Gold Star Line, established in 1958, is one of Nigeria’s most established shipping agencies and reiterated its long-standing dedication to customer service.
Rives described the arrival of MV Sapphire as greater than a typical docking, calling it a “symbol of progress and partnership” which will reduce voyage costs, improve operational efficiency, and improve environmental sustainability. He went further to include that sister ships are also set to call on Nigerian ports shortly.
APM Terminals Apapa commercial manager Kayode Daniel called the development a big plus for the port and noted the global push for cleaner shipping collectively. The adoption of LNG-fueled ships is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and APM Terminals’ internal environment, social, and governance (ESG) agenda, he further stated.
Lagos Port Complex, Apapa port manager Adebowale Lawal, through chief port security officer Bukar Kaumi, praised Gold Star Line and LANSAL for their forward thinking. He emphasized the importance of handling bigger, more sophisticated ships, noting that LNG technology is central to combating climate change and reducing costs while driving economies of scale.
Apapa Customs Command Controller Comptroller Emmanuel Osoba, by Deputy Comptroller Musa Sama, congratulated the shipping company and terminal operator, describing the event as “the dawn of a new chapter in maritime transportation.” He praised the installation of LNG-powered ships as an innovative step towards a cleaner, more efficient supply chain and promised support to the Nigeria Customs Service to promote trade in an unbroken manner.
