Belgian gas infrastructure group Fluxys and LNG supplier Titan LNG have taken delivery of FlexFueler 002, an inland LNG bunkering barge that will service the Antwerp port and region starting February 2021
Titan LNG expects to begin offering carbon-neutral fuels – liquefied biogas made from organic waste or liquefied synthetic methane from green hydrogen and captured CO2 – when the bunker barge begins operations.
Operator of the inland LNG bunker barge FlexFueler 001, Titan LNG says no additional investment will be needed to make the carbon-neutral fuels available. Rather, Titan LNG will utilise FlexFueler 002 and the other LNG bunkering infrastructure in the port of Antwerp to offer fully carbon neutral choices.
The advantage of FlexFueler 002 is its flexibility. Inland waterway vessels and coasters will have the option to get bunkered with LNG wherever they are loading or unloading their cargo. The bunkering barge will operate from Quay 526/528 where Fluxys facilitates truck-to-ship bunkering and Titan LNG operates a permanent bunkering point for inland waterway vessels.
Fluxys and Titan LNG joined forces in early 2019 to build FlexFueler 002 and Dutch shipyard Kooiman Marine recently delivered the vessel. Titan LNG is currently conducting the last vessel trials and finalising crew training.
Kooiman Marine also built FlexFueler 002’s sister vessel, FlexFueler 001, which was delivered in 2019. FlexFueler001 has an overall length of 76.4 m and beam of 11.45 m, with four vacuum-insulated IMO Type C cargo tanks, each with a capacity of 370 m3. For manoeuvrability, FlexFueler001 is fitted with a bow thruster. There is also a control room and simple accommodation at the stern.
Fluxys chief executive Pascal de Buck said “We are proud to offer with our partner, Titan LNG, a key logistic link for the shipping industry to switch to cleaner operations in the Antwerp port and region. The prospect of introducing, with our newly built bunkering barge, fully carbon neutral options in the foreseeable future strengthens us in our commitment to press ahead with the energy transition."
Added Titan LNG chief technical officer Ronald van Selm, “We are very anxious to add this vessel to our fleet of owned and chartered LNG bunker vessels. Building on the very fruitful co-operation during the development and building process, we are confident that together with Fluxys, LNG bunkering in Antwerp will be a daily business soon. Jointly with the Port of Antwerp, we have already delivered LNG numerous times with FlexFueler001, so we can guarantee our customers the safety framework is in place and functioning.”
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