LNG fuel tanks built for largest US LNG bunker vessel

Being shipped by BBC Chartering heavy-lift vessel BBC Louise, the four tanks are being supplied by Wärtsilä Gas Solutions for installation in a new 5,400-m³ LNG bunker barge being built for Polaris New Energy by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) in Wisconsin.

The four cargo tanks have internal piping, instruments, equipment and access structures. They also have 300-mm insulation and will be installed below deck on the bunkering barge; only the domes will be visible once completed.

After crossing the Pacific, BBC Louise will transit the Panama Canal and then sail north along the US eastern seaboard on its way via the St Lawrence Seaway to the shipyard on Lake Michigan. The ship is expected to arrive in late October, which is in line with the shipyard’s schedule for delivering the barge to Polaris New Energy by the end of 2021.

“Delivering the cargo tanks as agreed with FBS puts the main piece of the jigsaw puzzle in place,” said Wärtsilä Gas Solutions project manager Geir Kirkemo. “Construction work has been to the highest HSE standards, and we are really satisfied with the quality,” he added.

Each of the four cargo tanks has a capacity of 1,350 m³. The Polaris New Energy barge will bunker LNG-fuelled vessels calling at US ports along the US east coast.

“The completion and shipping of the LNG cargo tanks marks a very significant milestone in the overall project,” said FBS programme manager Pete Sinclair.

The full Wärtsilä scope for this project includes, in addition to the tanks, the system design and integration, the LNG pumps, a ship-to-ship transfer system, ship-to-shore communication link, all necessary safety and control equipment, valves, instrumentation, and a gas combustion unit.