Major milestone achieved – delivery of tanks for Wärtsilä supplied cargo handling system

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions took delivery on August 28 of four LNG cargo tanks from the company’s supplier in China. The successful completion of this delivery will allow the installation of a complete cargo handling system to proceed on schedule. The system is intended for a new 5400 m3 LNG bunker barge being built at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) yard in Wisconsin, USA for Polaris New Energy, LLC (PNE).

The four cargo tanks have internal piping, instruments, equipment and access structures. They also have 300mm insulation and will be installed below deck on the bunkering barge; only the domes will be visible once completed (see photo). Transportation to the yard has required detailed logistics planning. The tanks were moved by barge to Shanghai, where they were loaded onboard the heavy-lift vessel, the ‘BBC Louise’ for transport to the USA. After crossing the Pacific, the ship will pass through the Panama Canal and then head north along the USA’s eastern seaboard on its way via the St. Lawrence Seaway to the shipyard on Lake Michigan. The ship is expected to arrive in late October as planned, which is in line with the yard’s schedule for delivering the barge to PNE end-2021.

“Delivering the cargo tanks as agreed with FBS puts the main piece of the jigsaw puzzle in place. Construction work has been to the highest HSE standards, and we are really satisfied with the quality,” says Geir Kirkemo, Project Manager for Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

The four cargo tanks are each 1350 m3 in size. The Polaris New Energy barge will be the largest vessel of its kind when launched, and will operate as a ‘moving gas station’ to supply LNG fueled vessels along the east coast of the USA. The LNG will be delivered at a temperature of approximately minus 160 degrees C.

“The completion, and shipping, of the LNG cargo tanks marks a very significant milestone in the overall project. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding greatly appreciates the efforts made by all parties in trying times, and looks forward to receiving the tanks and moving into the next phase of the project,” says Pete Sinclair, Program Manager at FBS.

The full Wärtsilä scope for this project includes, in addition to the tanks, the system design and integration, the LNG pumps, a ship-to-ship transfer system, ship to shore communication link, all necessary safety and control equipment, valves, instrumentation, and a gas combustion unit.

Wärtsilä Marine Systems in brief:
Wärtsilä Marine Systems offers high-quality products, solutions, and lifecycle services related to the gas value chain, exhaust treatment applications, seals & bearings, shaftline repair services, underwater services, and marine electrical integrations. Our aim is to provide the latest and most efficient solutions in line with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine Ecosystem vision for a safer, better, and more sustainable future for our customers.
www.wartsila.com/marine

Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2019, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.