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Netherlands-headquartered Clean Marine Energy LLC has announced that North America's first LNG bunker barge is scheduled to be launched in February 2016.

The news was confirmed following a tour of the Conrad Shipyard in Orange, Texas, which was hosted by the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO).

Around 200 industry members participated in the tour as part of the USCG Liquefied Gas Senior Executive Forum, held last week.

Construction of the new 2,200-cubic-metre (cbm) barge is nearing completion, and abrasive blasting and painting is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

The LNG Mark III Flex cargo containment system, designed by Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), is due to be installed immediately following the February launch.

Designed by Bristol Harbor Group and classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the vessel is to be outfitted with Conrad's custom-fabricated 20-metre bunker mast under GTT license, which will enable the barge to service a wide variety of vessels.

The barge will also be equipped with six DH Industries StirLNG-4 cryocoolers capable of handling 125 percent of the boil-off gas (B.O.G.) in addition to the other systems specifically designed for the vessel's LNG bunkering application to deliver the coldest LNG to the end user.

The barge is scheduled to be delivered to the port of Jacksonville in the third quarter of 2016 to service TOTE's newbuild Marlin-class container ships and other LNG-powered vessels in and around Jacksonville and the south-east coast of the U.S.

The Isla Bella - the first of two ships - arrived in Jacksonville in early December and is currently operating a liner service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her sister, the Perla Del Caribe, is anticipated to enter service in the second half of February 2016.