The barge is equipped with five LNG-powered Caterpillar generators supplying an overall output of 7.5 MW of electrical power to cruise vessels. The barge will enable cruise vessels to switch off their heavy fuel oil-powered generators during layovers, cutting emissions in port.
Launched from the shipyard in Komárno, Slovakia, on 5 September, the barge will now be making the 1,500 km journey up the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers north towards Hamburg, where it will undergo technical testing. Following naming in October, the barge will then be deployed delivering energy to an AIDA Cruise vessel.
“This is an important day for the shipping industry, because the LNG Hybrid Barge is a big step forward for supplying cruise ships with environmentally-friendly energy,” said Dirk Lehman, Becker Marine Systems md.
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