Belgian shipping company Somtrans formally named its newest LNG bunkering barge in a ceremony at the Port of Antwerp on Monday, December 15.
United LNG I is an LNG bunker barge designed for both inland waterways and coastal service up to Zeebrugge.
Measuring 135 by 21.46 metres, the barge carries eight cylindrical IMO type C cargo tanks of 1,000 cubic metres each and engineered to store LNG at –165 degrees Celsius. Somtrans said the cylindrical cryogenic tanks are central to the design of the vessel.
The barge's hull was built in China and transported to the Netherlands. LNG tanks supplied by Gas and Heat were then installed in Rotterdam, before the vessel moved to TeamCo Shipyard for final outfitting.
Dutch shipbuilder Rensen-Driessen acted as the main contractor, coordinating every phase from hull construction to delivery, with TeamCo overseeing tank integration, engineering and yard execution.
A sister vessel, United LNG II, is scheduled to begin undergoing outfitting in March of next year.
