Shell Trading Rotterdam BV (Shell) has received the first of fifteen new inland dual-fuel barges following the time-charter agreement with Plouvier Transport NV (Plouvier Group N.V.), announced in December 2015. The barges will refuel with LNG from infrastructure in Rotterdam and along the Rhine.
The newly delivered state-of-the-art barge, named RPG Stuttgart, will predominantly run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Built by the Dutch shipyard VEKA Shipbuilding, it will support Shell’s growing business in trading and transporting refined oil products in the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) and Rhinetrack (Germany/Switzerland) regions.
The 110 metre long barges have been designed for improved environmental and safety performance, and optimal cargo carrying capacity in a variety of water conditions. Their main engines, provided by Wärtsilä, will run on 95- 98% LNG fuel with a small proportion of diesel used for ignition.
According to VEKA Shipbuilding, there is expected to be a staggered delivery of the subsequent barges between now and mid-2019.
For the RPG Stuttgart and the next 14 barges Cryonorm supplies the on-board Marine LNG Fuel System including control system and LNG bunker skid under the consortium agreement with Wärtsilä.
(Sources: VEKA Group; Cryonorm BV)
