America’s first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) barge has been launched for owner Q-LNG Transport, Mississippi shipbuilder VT Halter Marine announced on Wednesday.
The Q-LNG 4000 barge, designed to carry 4,000 cubic meters of LNG, with dimensions of 324’ x 64’ x 32’.6”, will be operated as part of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit designed to meet the requirements of American Bureau of Shipbuilding (ABS) and the International Gas Carrier code as an LNG bunkering barge.
Its tug, the Q-Ocean Services, is scheduled to launch late October. The tug will have 5,100 horsepower, powered by two GE 6L250 MDC EPA Tier 4 main engines, with Wartsila Z-drives, and dimensions of 128’ x 42’ x 21’.
The ATB unit is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2020.
“The Q-LNG 4000 is dedicated to delivering safe transit to all ships and ports it will serve,” said Shane J Guidry, Chief Executive Officer of Q-LNG Transport. “Q-LNG Transport is committed to being a leader in developing LNG infrastructure in the United States and abroad. We are equally pleased that the ATB unit is Jones Act compliant, meaning she was constructed in America, owned by an American company, crewed by Americans under an American flag.”
In November 2017, VT Halter Marine was awarded a contract by Q-LNG Transport to build the ATB LNG unit, which was announced as part of a long-term contract with Shell Trading (U.S.) Company, to deliver LNG as a fuel source to various ports in Florida and the Caribbean. It will bunker Carnival Cruise Line’s two new dual-fuel ships and two dual-fuel Siem Car Carrier pure car truck carriers chartered by the Volkswagen Group to transport vehicles from Europe to North America.
“We are proud of this successful launch,” said Ronald Baczkowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of VT Halter Marine. “It marks a significant milestone in our role to deliver cleaner and more efficient fuels for the cruise and commercial ship industries. The professional and dedicated employees of VT Halter Marine have put their hearts and souls into building a vessel that will support environmentally friendly domestic commerce for decades to come.”
