Rotterdam Next Port to Get an LNG Barge

Becker Marine Systems and KOTUG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a LNG hybrid barge in the Port of Rotterdam with effect from June 2017.

The LNG hybrid barge, a floating energy plant, is designed to provide environmentally friendly power for ships in ports. It can deliver clean energy to moored cruise ships and is an alternative for producing electricity by either their generator sets or their main engines. 

Becker Marine Systems owns the barge and provides services to charter it out. The LNG Hybrid Barge concept is developed by LNG Hybrid, a division of Becker Marine systems. 

Dirk Lehmann, Managing Director of Becker Marine Systems said: “The LNG Hybrid Barge is the first flexible solution supplying clean LNG energy to cruise ships during summer season and providing the flexibility of generating electric energy and heat into a public grid system or industrial users during winter season. We see this advanced flexible solution as an opportunity for Rotterdam and other international ports.”

Cruise ships moored in Rotterdam are traditionally key clients of KOTUG. KOTUG will move the LNG hybrid barge and will provide commercial, technical and operational management of it. 

Becker Marine Systems’ LNG barge concept made its premiere at the Port of Hamburg in May when a cruise ship received environmentally friendly power from the LNG Hybrid Barge for the first time. Becker Marine Systems’ barge, Hummel, provides 7.5 megawatts of low-emission power to AIDAsol during its layover at port. Hummel generates power via a gas container filled with 15 tons of LNG. It can generate an output of 7.5 megawatts.

The concept and unique cooperation between Becker Marine systems and KOTUG has drawn significant attention from key players in the LNG market, like Cruiseport Rotterdam, Dutch National LNG Platform and Shell. Arjan Stavast, Shell’s Downstream LNG Business Development Manager for Europe commented “We see the LNG hybrid barge as a unique solution for the maritime industry. We will follow these developments closely as we do believe that the delivery of electricity through LNG is possible for (cruise) ships, factories and cities, while not having to invest heavily in additional electricity infrastructure.”