---

Classification society Bureau Veritas has been chosen to class a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel [pictured] which is due to be built at Hanjin Heavy Industries, Korea, under an agreement between Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) and Mitsubishi and France’s GDF-Suez.

According to Bureau Veritas, the vessel will carry 5,000 cubic metres (cbm) of LNG as marine fuel stored at 4 Bar in two IMO Type C pressure tanks. Delivery is set for 2016 when the vessel is scheduled to operate from the Fluxys LNG Terminal in Zeebrugge, initially supplying LNG fuel from GDF-Suez to the fleet of United European Car Carriers (UECC).

Philippe Donche-Gay, Executive Vice-President and head of the marine and offshore division of Bureau Veritas, said: "Our experience with every type and size of gas carrier, our lead in the area of dual-fuel and multi-function gas carriers and our ability to support the partners means we can make a real contribution to this initiative. It will help kick-start LNG bunkering, bringing forward the use of this clean fuel in North European waters."

The LNG bunker barge will have an LOA ('length overall') of 111 metres, a beam of 16.8 metres and a draft of 4.9 metres and will have dual-fuel diesel-electric propulsion with twin azipods for high manoeuvrability.

Bureau Veritas said the vessel will be "built and equipped to the highest environmental friendliness standards" and classed with the following notations:

I + HULL + MACH, Liquefied Gas Carrier (LNG), IMO type 2G (-163°C, 4.0 barg), Unrestricted navigation, Dual Fuel, + AUT-UMS, + SYS - NEQ – 1, + Veristar Hull, AVM-DPS, CLEANSHIP, INWATERSURVEY, CPS (WBT), GREEN PASSPORT

Image: An artist's graphic of the LNG bunker barge for GDF-Suez.