An agreement by Wärtsilä and COSCO shipping Heavy Industry Co. (CHI) to develop a natural gas operating fleet has received Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate.

A memorandum of understanding among the three companies was signed in June 2016.

The fleet comprises:

  • A pusher tug;
  • LNG storage barge;
  • LNG regasification barge; and
  • A floating liquefaction natural gas barge.

The pusher tug can be used to transport the three barges.

The companies seek to offer global operators a more efficient and economical fleet design that meets current and anticipated environmental requirements.

The concept’s main advantages are its operative flexibility, and the fleet’s competitive capex and opex costs. The companies envision the fleet acting as an LNG carrier (using only the pusher tug and LNG storage barge), or deployed in more complex projects involving liquefaction and regasification systems (using all units). The low draft design makes it a good fit for gas power plant projects in Southeast Asia.

“This is a new and innovative fleet concept that is designed to create better efficiencies for companies involved in any part of the natural gas supply chain,” said Sanjay Verma, director, business development, Southeast Asia, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “By combining CHI’s know-how in this field with Wärtsilä’s vast technological competences, we have together taken yet another step forward in creating an optimal LNG supply chain.”

—Joseph Markman