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Washington Maritime Blue and several Pacific Northwest port and maritime organizations are seeking a naval architecture firm to develop conceptual designs for a methanol bunker barge as part of a regional green-fuel readiness effort in the Seattle-Tacoma Gateway.
The request for proposals, issued May 11, calls for technical drawings and operational schematics for a non-self-propelled, unmanned methanol bunker barge that would support a ship-to-ship methanol bunkering tabletop exercise planned for September 2026. The project is part of the three-year “Powering Maritime Innovation in the Pacific Northwest” initiative funded through an EPA Clean Ports grant.
The effort is being led by Washington Maritime Blue in collaboration with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, Northwest Seaport Alliance, and American Bureau of Shipping. ABS is leading the Methanol Bunkering Port Readiness Feasibility Study tied to the project.
According to the RFP, the conceptual barge design will be used during a high-level risk assessment workshop focused on identifying operational requirements and safety gaps associated with green methanol bunkering in the Pacific Northwest. Methanol’s toxicity, flammability, and low flashpoint are among the hazards participants will evaluate during the exercise.
The proposed bunker barge is expected to carry about 30,000 cubic meters of methanol, though respondents may suggest alternative capacities with supporting justification. The receiving vessel for the workshop scenario has not yet been selected but could include a cargo ship, containership, cruise vessel, or ro-ro vessel.
The project follows growing industry interest in methanol bunkering infrastructure in the U.S. In August 2025, Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, supported the Port of South Louisiana in developing concept arrangements and an outboard profile for a proposed 28,900-bbl. e-methanol hydrogen fueling barge. The double-hulled concept vessel was designed to meet applicable United States Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping requirements for methanol carriage and bunkering operations.
Required deliverables include general arrangement drawings, concept of operations documentation, methanol piping diagrams, tank capacity summaries, hazardous area drawings, fire and gas detection plans, emergency shutdown layouts, and mooring arrangements with towing procedures.
The RFP states the designs are intended to provide a technical basis for qualitative risk analysis rather than detailed construction plans. Final deliverables may be shared publicly as part of the EPA-funded project’s broader decarbonization roadmap and stakeholder engagement efforts.
The selected contractor will also participate in review sessions with ABS ahead of the workshop and may attend the two-day in-person risk assessment workshop scheduled for the Seattle-Tacoma area in September.
The project budget is capped at $30,000, including travel expenses. Maritime Blue said proposals are due June 1, with final technical deliverables required by July 31.
