Conrad to build LNG bunker barge

GTT North America has received an order from WesPac Midstream for the first dedicated LNG bunker barge for the marine market in North America. The LNG barge will be built by Conrad Orange Shipyard in Orange, Texas.

The barge is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2016. It will be built with the innovative Mark III Flex cargo containment technology, which allows an optimized boil-off rate of cargo LNG and efficiently utilizes available cargo hold space. 

The barge will also feature the innovative bunker mast design, REACH4 (Refueling Equipment Arm, Methane [CH4]) developed by GTT, to ensure the simple and safe transfer of LNG fuel to the vessel. The barge will initially serve Totem Ocean Trailer Express operations in Tacoma, Wash., as well as TOTE's SeaStar operations in Jacksonville, Fla.

WesPac is a leading provider of energy infrastructure and LNG solutions, and its affiliate Clean Marine Energy is a global facilitator of tailored solutions for Emission Control Area (ECA) compliance. 

Earlier this year, Conrad Shipyard signed a Technical Assistance and License Agreement (TALA) with GTT North America for the design and construction of LNG barges and LNG-fueled vessel bunker tanks using GTT's membrane containment systems.