A series of 15 inland waterway barges are being built for Belgium based Plouvier Transport N.V. They and which will be chartered by Shell Trading Rotterdam (Shell), are to be powered by Wärtsilä dual-fuel main engines. The barges will operate primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Wärtsilä will also supply other propulsion equipment and its LNGPac fuel gas handling system. The ships’ hulls are under construction at the VEKA Shipyard CENTROMOST in Poland and outfitting will be carried out at VEKA Shipyard Werkendam. The contract with Wärtsilä was concluded in December.
Wärtsilä’s strong focus on promoting environmentally sustainable solutions for inland waterway vessels, together with its extensive experience in developing capabilities for the use of LNG fuel, was considered a key factor in the award of this contract. Shell will utilise these 110 metre long barges to support its growing operations in the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) and Rhinetrack (Germany/Switzerland) regions.
For each barge, the full Wärtsilä scope of supply comprises a 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel main engine, a gearbox, an LNGPac fuel gas handling system (developed in close cooperation with Cryonorm), and a Wärtsilä propeller with an HR nozzle. The equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yards commencing in June 2016.
