Bureau Veritas has been chosen to class the unique LNG bunkering vessel which will be built at Hanjin Heavy Industries, Korea, under an agreement between Japan’s NYK and Mitsubishi and France’s GDF-SUEZ

The vessel will carry 5,000 cu m of LNG for ships’ fuel stored at 4 Bar in two IMO Type C pressure tanks. Delivery is set for 2016 when the vessel will operate from the Fluxys LNG Terminal in Zeebrugge, initially supplying LNG fuel from GDF-SUEZ to the fleet of United European Car Carriers.

“It will help kick-start LNG bunkering, bringing forward the use of this clean fuel in North European waters,” said Philippe Donche-Gay, executive vice president and head of the marine and offshore division of Bureau Veritas, says,  

The 111m x16.8m x 4.9 m LNG bunker barge will have dual-fuel diesel electric propulsion with twin azipods for high manoeuvrability. It will be built and equipped to the highest environmental friendliness standards and classed with the following notations: I + HULL + MACH, Liquefied Gas Carrier (LNG), IMO type 2G (-163°C, 4.0 barg), Unrestricted navigation, Dual Fuel, + AUT-UMS, + SYS - NEQ – 1, + Veristar Hull, AVM-DPS, CLEANSHIP, INWATERSURVEY, CPS (WBT), GREEN PASSPORT.