Dutch shipbuilder Concordia Damen is moving forward with works on the first out of 40 LNG-powered inland waterway barges which will go on charter to Shell.
To remind, institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management have ordered the barges in November last year.
All of the barges, known as the Parsifal tankers, will go on charter to Shell while VT Group/Marlow will operate them.
Concordia Damen said it had floated out the first barge named Blue Marjan in Serbia in June and subsequently, the vessel had arrived at its yard in Werkendam later the same month.
According to a statement by Dutch cryogenic tech firm Cryonorm on Friday, the barge received its LNG marine fuel system in Werkendam.
Crynorm won the contract from Concordia Damen to supply LNG fuel systems for all of the 40 vessels last year.
The fuel systems will supply natural gas to the stage V MAN Rollo gas generator sets.
Dutch-based MAN Rollo also said in a recent statement it had delivered its three sets – two LNG and one diesel set to Damen Concordia.
The 495 ekW LNG sets would serve for propulsion and onboard power, while the 277 ekW diesel sets would serve as a backup, according to MAN Rollo.
All of the dual-fuel barges will be 110 meters long and 11.5 meters wide.
They will feature shallow draught capabilities and will carry mineral oils between Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Rhine network.
Concordia Damen previously said it planned to deliver the first tanker in November 2021.
After that, the yard plans to deliver one barge each month, completing the order by December 2024.