LNG MAKES GAINS ON THE WEST COAST

摘要

The future of liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion on West Coast waters took a step forward with Totem Ocean Trailer Express' plan to convert its 839'×118' roll-on/roll-off trailership Midnight Sun to dual-fuel LNG. The company says this will be the world's first major conversion of a large Ro/Ro trailership. The vessel will come off its usual Tacoma, Wash, to Anchorage, Alaska, route at the end of November, before the 90-day conversion project starts in December with Singapore-based Keppel Offshore & Marine. TOTE said it will convert the other Or-ca-class sister ship North Star in 2016-2017. TOTE is part of the Saltchuk group of companies, which owns Foss Maritime Services. Meanwhile, TOTE and its partner WesPac Midstream are building North America's first LNG bunker barge at Conrad Industries' Amelia, La., shipyard. In Seattle, Jensen Maritime is moving into that market with conceptual plans for LNG bunkering barges that can be built to customer specifications.