Finnish technology company Wärtsilä informed that it will equip a new articulated tug barge (ATB), that will be used to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel to cruise ships along the east coast of Florida, USA.
According to the company, this will be the first fueling barge with a Wärtsilä solution operating in US waters, and is seen as being an important logistics link for the growth of LNG as a marine fuel in the USA.
The 4000 m3 capacity ATB is being built at the VT Halter Marine (VTHM) shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi on behalf of Quality LNG Transport LLC (Q-LNG). When delivered, the vessel will be on a long-term charter with Shell Oil Co. It is scheduled to commence operations in 2020.
The ATB comprises a barge and a tug. Wärtsilä will provide LNG cargo storage, handling, and control system, the barge automation, power management, and ballast water management systems, as well the bow thruster. The tug will include Wärtsilä main propulsion steerable thrusters and shaft lines, the Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum system, the tug automation, as well as all navigation and communication equipment.
“Increasing the use of LNG as a marine fuel is at the core of our global business strategy, and this project represents an important step towards realising that aim,” says Hanno Schoonman, General Manager Sales for Wärtsilä Marine Solutions in the USA.
