Fincantieri kicks off work on Crowley’s LNG bunkering barge

US-based Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has started building Crowley’s large LNG bunkering barge that will go on charter to a unit of energy giant Shell.

Fincantieri Marine Group’s yard, which is the US division of Italian Fincantieri, said in a statement this week it cut the first piece of steel in Sturgeon Bay on January 6.

According to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, this is the largest LNG bunkering barge ever built in the US and the biggest Jones Act-compliant vessel of its kind.

It expects to deliver the barge in late 2023.

Crowley Maritime and Shell NA LNG revealed this project in September last year. The 126.8 meters long vessel will have a capacity of 12,000 cbm.

Shell will take the barge, the company’s second in the US after the Q-LNG 4000, on a long-term charter.

Moreover, Shell’s unit will use the vessel to fuel LNG-powered ships that call on ports on the US East Coast starting in 2024.

The new barge will add to a growing fleet of LNG bunkering vessels in the US.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding recently delivered the first LNG bunkering barge to NorthStar’s Polaris New Energy.

Also, the 5,400-cbm barge Clean Canaveral will source the fuel from JAX LNG, a production facility in Jacksonville. NorthStar and Pivotal LNG run the facility jointly.

Besides this bunkering barge, Oaktree Capital Management-backed NorthStar has ordered another LNG bunkering barge at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. This new 5,500-cbm ship would be a sister vessel to the LNG bunker barge Clean Canaveral.

Most Popular

BGN delivers its first LNG cargo to Germany, secures Egypt deal

Switzerland-based energy trader BGN has completed its first LNG delivery to Germany, while simultaneously securing a deal to supply Egypt with LNG.

Samsung Heavy wins contract for Eni’s Coral Norte FLNG

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy has secured a preliminary contract for Eni's second FLNG project in Mozambique, Coral Norte (Coral North), according to shipbuilding sources.

DET says Stade FSRU to be deployed in Jordan

State-owned German LNG terminal operator DET has sub-chartered the 2021-built 174,000-cbm FSRU, Energos Force, for deployment in Jordan, as it works on the next steps for the delayed Stade LNG import facility in Germany.

More News Like This

Former Shell CFO joins BP’s board

UK-based energy giant BP has appointed Simon Henry, Shell's former finance chief, to its board as a non-executive director.

LNG Canada sends second cargo

Shell-led LNG Canada has shipped the second cargo of liquefied natural gas from its Kitimat facility on the west coast of Canada. LNG Canada shareholder Petronas will deliver this shipment to Japan.

Shell expects ‘significantly lower’ LNG trading results in Q2

LNG giant Shell expects trading and optimization results for its integrated gas business in the second quarter of 2025 to be "significantly lower" compared to the previous quarter.

Shell’s LNG Canada to ship second cargo

Shell-led LNG Canada is expected to soon ship the second cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Kitimat facility on the west coast of Canada, according to shipping data.