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Oil major Shell has this week put two inland shipping tankers into operation at the Port of Rotterdam, with both of them running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The two tankers will sail along the Rhine between Rotterdam and Basel, Switzerland, in what has been described as a first for the inland maritime industry.

"The 110-metre long ships are 'single fuel': they only use one type of fuel, LNG. This not just a first for Shell in the Netherlands, but also for the inland shipping industry. The tankers are the next step towards more sustainable inland shipping," Port of Rotterdam Authority remarked.

The port authority said that the two Shell tankers were 'a good first step' in the promotion of the use of LNG in inland shipping, adding that other companies are expected to follow suit over the coming years.

Although detailed legislation and regulations concerning LNG are still being developed, Port of Rotterdam Authority already provides a safe location for bunkering LNG at the Seinehaven quay.

For around a year it has been possible to bunker at a controlled test bunker station for inland shipping in Rotterdam. The Harbour Master's Division of Port of Rotterdam Authority is responsible for the supervision of LNG bunkering operations.