Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry has signed a contract with Anhui Huaqiang Natural Gas to build three LNG bunkering barges for the Chinese market. The total value of the contract is over 100 million yuan.
The vessels will serve 2000 ships registered in Anhui Province, offering bunkering services to ships that have been converted to run on LNG. Anhui Huaqiang Natural Gas plans to order a further 10 LNG bunkering barges from Wuchang Shipbuilding in October.
The ships have a length of 90 m, width of 18 m, depth of 4.2 m and a capacity of approximately 4000 t, with two 250 m3 LNG storage tanks on board.
A Lloyds Register report has concluded that ports are gearing up for the wide scale development of LNG bunkering, as the shipping industry anticipates a gas-fuelled future.