Canadian LNG distributor Cryopeak has joined forces with marine bulk fuels transporter Island Tug & Barge to deliver bunkering services in British Columbia.
Cryopeak said in a statement on Wednesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with ITB, a unit of Tidewater Canada.
The duo have developed a design for a 4,000-cbm articulated tug and barge expected to be in operation in 2023.
The vessel will leverage one of ITB’s tugs built in Vancouver to deliver LNG to shipping firms calling to ports on the Canadian West Coast.
Cryopeak’s CEO Calum McClure said the project would combine the company’s expertise in LNG distribution with ITB’s marine operations expertise.
“We look forward to developing this initiative and supporting the use of LNG as a marine fuel on the West Coast,” he said.
This project marks an “important breakthrough” for the development of LNG bunkering in Western Canada.
It would allow shipping companies to secure a “lower cost and a more environmentally sustainable fuel source.”
McClure said that this initiative supports the Port of Vancouver in joining other ports globally in offering LNG bunkering services.
Furthermore, Cryopeak has engaged with local First Nations to develop business opportunities associated with the project.
The project will also have on board the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
The classification society is already working on a number of projects all over the globe to advance LNG as fuel.