New Jones Act LNG bunker barge to be built in US
Illustration of the bunker barge (Source: Crowley)
Crowley Maritime Corporation and Shell NA LNG, LLC, have agreed a deal enabling construction of a Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The 128m-long barge, the second Jones Act-compliant bunker barge fixed by Shell on long-term charter in the US, will be the largest vessel of its type so far, with capacity to supply up to 12,000m3 of LNG to ships calling at ports on the US east coast from 2024.
“Shell is dedicated to growing our LNG bunkering network across key trade routes,” said Tahir Faruqui, general manager, Global DLNG for Shell. “and this barge supports our commitment to helping provide our customers with the energy solution they are looking for. LNG offers immediate emissions reduction with the potential to become a net-zero emission marine fuel, given the possible roles of bio-LNG and synthetic LNG.”
Crowley Shipping vice president, Tucker Gilliam, commented: “Orders for ships fuelled by liquefied natural gas continue to rise, and the vessel will provide Shell an innovateve and reliable service to meet demands for more sustainable energy sources.”
