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Why bunker barges need protection
In a video interview, liquid bulk and bunkering company Victrol’s QHSE manager Joachim de Ruiter relates an incident that led the company to install safety equipment
Speaking at the LNG Shipping & Terminals Conference 2023 in November 2023, Mr de Ruiter explained how a container falling off a vessel onto a conventional bunker barge during simultaneous loading and unloading cargo operations and taking on bunkers led Victrol to install tables over the tank domes of the barges.
The protection tables are designed to withstand a fully loaded container falling corner first off a vessel.
While a container falling and piercing a cargo line on a bunker barge would lead to a rapid response of shutting and isolating the cargo line, such an option is not available should a falling container pierce a tank.
Such an event on an LNG barge would lead to the escape of LNG and serious consequences, which is why Victrol has taken the step of fitting protective tables over the tank domes.
The question for the rest of the bunker barge industry conducting simultaneous loading and unloading cargo operations and taking on bunkers is – should protective tables be mandatory?
Riviera’s two-day LNG Shipping & Terminals Conference is an annual event which delivers key business insights that span the strategic, technical, operational and commercial aspects of the industry, while also showcasing market trends, developments and the latest technology.
In 2023, the conference theme was Opportunities for LNG in a transitioning global economy.
The highlights from the 2023 LNG Shipping & Terminals Conference included a market round-up: energy markets, drivers and trends, a deep-dive into India’s first east coast LNG terminal, successes and challenges for Nigeria’s first FLNG facility, and the ever-popular Roundtables and networking opportunities.
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