Shell takes delivery of LNG-powered barge

Energy giant Shell has taken delivery of a dual-fuel inland barge that will mainly run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The 110 meter long LNG-powered barge named RPG Stuttgart is the first out of fifteen vessels Shell Trading Rotterdam chartered from Antwerp-based Plouvier Transport and its Swiss unit Intertrans Tankschiffahrt.

Built by the Dutch shipyard VEKA, the barge will transport mineral oil products in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region and along the Rine.

The inland barge will bunker fuel at the third jetty at the Dutch Gate LNG terminal in the port of Rotterdam.

The vessels’ main engine, provided by Finland’s Wärtsilä, will run on 95- 98% LNG fuel with a small proportion of diesel used for ignition.

Cryonorm supplied the onboard LNG fuel system including control system and LNG bunker skid under the consortium agreement with Wärtsilä.