Crowley Maritime Corporation has signed a long-term charter agreement with Shell NA LNG, LLC, (“Shell”) that provides for the construction and operation of a new U.S.-built LNG barge. Once built, the barge will be the largest Jones Act-compliant vessel of its kind, helping to expand current grid capacity and meet demand for cleaner energy.
“The new bunker barge will extend Crowley’s commitment to deliver cleaner, more innovative solutions to help the shipping industry continue on the path to decarbonization,” said Tucker Gilliam, vice president of Crowley Shipping. “Orders for LNG-fueled vessels continue to increase, and the vessel will provide Shell with an innovative and reliable service to meet the demand for more sustainable energy sources.”
The 416-foot-long barge will feature advanced technologies in cargo handling capacity and increased transfer rates, including a state-of-the-art solution from Shell and Crowley Engineering Services to flexibly deliver LNG to various types of LNG containment systems. The transformer design will offer a 12,000 m3 (3.17 million gallons) capacity and product supply equipment to fully serve ocean carriers.
The vessel becomes the second Jones Act-compliant bunker barge that Shell has under long-term charter in the U.S. It is expected to be deployed to service LNG-fueled vessels calling at U.S. East Coast ports beginning in 2024.
“Shell is dedicated to growing our LNG bunkering network across key trade lanes, and this barge supports our commitment to help provide our customers with the energy solution they are looking for,” said Tahir Faruqui, general manager of Global DLNG at Shell. “The shipping sector is moving towards decarbonization, and LNG offers immediate emissions reductions with the potential to become a net-zero emission marine fuel, given the potential roles of bio-LNG and synthetic LNG.”
The vessel will be built at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
“This additional LNG barge will serve as another demonstration of our commitment to building and serving sustainable maritime endeavors, both in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dario Deste, president and CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is set to deliver another LNG barge later this year to a different customer.
Consistent with Crowley’s actions under its New Energy division in support of the company’s sustainability commitment, the expansion of LNG capacity will enable Crowley and its customers to achieve more immediate emissions reductions and accelerate the transition to new energy sources that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
