Today, the RMK Shipyard in Tuzla, Türkiye, has laid the keel for an 8000 m3 inland waterways liquified natural gas (LNG) bunker barge that is owned and operated by LNG Shipping; a cooperation between Victrol and Sogestran. The barge named LNG ERASMUS will be delivered to Shell in Q2 2024, under a long-term time charter, for operations in the ports of Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam (ARA).
Building on the success and experience developed through 3 years safe and successful ship to ship bunkering operations with LNG London – 3000 m3 inland waterways LNG bunker barge, launched July 2019 – Shell and LNG Shipping widen their cooperation with the construction of this second larger capacity vessel.
Tahir Faruqui, head of downstream LNG at Shell, “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”. With this barge, LNG Shipping will further enhance its expertise in safe LNG bunkering activities and in-house technical expertise in both engine and BOG management systems.
RMK Shipyard was selected to construct the barge, Gas&Heat will supply the Tanks and Cargo Handling System and MAN will source the gas engines.