• 25 Nov 2019

The Venetian towage company Rimorchiatori Riuniti Panfido has recently ordered to the Ravenna shipyard Rosetti Marino an innovative combined bunkering system, called SBBT (Semi-Ballastabie Barge Transporter), consisting of two units: a Power Unit of almost 7.000 hp, and one Cargo Unit used for the supply of LNG or Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) to ships.

According to the press release, the Power Unit will have an overall length of 37 meters and will be equipped with Voith-Shneider propulsion, with a 65-tonne pulling force and dual-fuel Niigata engine (LNG and MDO). It will be coupled to a Cargo Unit for bunkers of approximately 86.40 x 26.70 meters, with a load capacity of 4,000 cubic meters of LNG (maintained in liquid state) and 1,000 cubic meters of MDO.

The innovative SBBT system will be design by the Spanish engineering design company SENER, which has years of experience in LNG-related projects.

The estimated cost of the project is approx 36 million euro, co-financed for over 11 million by the European Commission as part of the Poseidon Med II program, which promotes innovation in the distribution and production of LNG.

The ship will mainly operate in the North-Adriatic area but it will also be the first of this kind to be used throughout the Mediterranean, as well as the first to be built in an Italian shipyard, with an important economic impact for the sector. Furthermore, the Italian Naval Registry (RINA) will supervise and guarantee the quality of the project, which is expected to be completed by 2020.

Source: Press release Rosetti