Vard designing LNG bunker barge for East Coast operations

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The following is text of a news release from Vard Marine Inc.:

(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Vard Marine recently completed the concept design of a new 5,400-cubic-meter (CBM) liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge for Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. The barge is being designed for Polaris New Energy’s bunkering operations that will support LNG-fueled ships on the East Coast of the United States. It will be built at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and is expected to be delivered in November 2021.

Vard Marine is currently developing a classification design package for the review and approval by the American Bureau of Shipping and the United States Coast Guard. The barge is designed with a philosophy of utilizing proven technology. It will be fitted with four 1,350 CBM IMO Type C tanks, utilizing a cargo-handling system designed and developed by Wartsila. The barge will use cargo-handling equipment for continuous cargo conditioning and to provide multiple levels of redundancy to maintain the LNG cargo’s pressure and temperature.

“LNG as a marine fuel is being adopted in the U.S. and around the world at an exponential rate,” said Darren Truelock, vice president of Vard Marine’s Houston operations. “Vard Marine is proud to be a part of this evolution. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has brought together a ‘dream team’ of expertise to provide Polaris New Energy with a world-class product that will be instrumental in providing access to cleaner, economical energy.”

The barge will be 340 feet long, with a 66-foot beam and a depth of 32 feet 10 inches. This project plays a key role in strengthening U.S. bunkering capability to provide LNG as a marine fuel to domestic and foreign LNG-fueled vessels operating in U.S. ports. It will be the largest capacity LNG Jones Act bunker barge designed and built to date.

By Professional Mariner Staff