Turkey’s RMK Shipyard has laid the keel for an 8,000 m3 inland waterways LNG bunker barge
The Tuzla-based yard is building the vessel for LNG Shipping – a co-operation between Belgian bunkerer Victrol and inland waterways services provider Sogestran Group.
When complete in Q2 2024, the barge will be delivered to Shell under a long-term time charter for operations in the ports of Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam (ARA).
RMK Shipyard was selected to construct the barge, with equipment supplier Gas&Heat SpA supplying the vessel’s tanks and cargo handling system while MAN Energy Systems will source the gas engines.
With this barge, LNG Shipping will further build its expertise in safe LNG bunkering and inhouse technical expertise in both engine and BOG management systems.
LNG Shipping already owns LNG London, Europe’s first inland-waterway LNG bunker barge. Shell has operated the 3,000-m3 bunker barge since July 2019.
Shell head of downstream Tahir Faruqui commented, “The new barge further expands Shell’s portfolio of LNG Bunker assets in the ARA region, underpinning our expansion plans for Marine LNG and collaboration within the shipping industry to transition to lower-carbon fuels.”
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