VT Halter Starts Construction On First Offshore LNG ATB Unit

VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., a company of Vision Technologies Systems Inc., held a ceremony March 8 to commence construction on America’s first Liquefied Natural Gas Articulated Tug and Barge (LNG ATB) unit.

“We are honored to be able to celebrate the official start of construction on the first LNG bunkering ATB unit ever built,” said Rob Mullins, CEO of VT Halter Marine. “We believe that this is a significant step toward the USA becoming the premier supplier of LNG as the environmentally friendly maritime fuel source of choice.”

In November 2017, VT Halter Marine was awarded a contract by Q-LNG Transport to build the ATB LNG unit, which was announced as part of a long-term contract with Shell Trading Company, to deliver LNG as a fuel source to various ports in Florida and the Caribbean.

“I’m looking forward to developing a long-term relationship with VT Halter Marine, and the ATB project is only the beginning,” said Shane J. Guidry, CEO of Q-LNG Transport. “The cutting of this steel for America’s first LNG ATB bunkering vessel will pave the way for LNG to become the marine fuel of the future.”

The ATB Tug will have 5,100 hp. from GE 6L250 MDC EPA Tier 4 main engines, with Z-drives and dimensions of 128 by 42 by 21 feet. The barge is designed to carry 4,000 cubic meters of LNG, and will have dimensions of 324 by 64 by 32 feet, 6 inches. The LNG ATB Unit is designed to meet the requirements of the American Bureau of Shipbuilding and the International Gas Carrier code as an LNG bunkering barge. Anticipated delivery of the first unit is in the first quarter of 2020.