Somtrans' latest United bunker barge an international affair

December 2025 saw Belgian shipowner Somtrans christen its latest delivery, the estuary-class bunker barge United LNG I, in a ceremony hosted at the Port of Antwerp. The family-run company plans to put the barge into service in February 2026, where it will be used to fulfil growing demand for LNG bunkering in various Belgian and Dutch seaports, a spokesperson for Somtrans confirms.

The 135m x 21.46m vessel has been designed for both inland waterways and coastal service up to the Port of Zeebrugge. The barge’s construction was an international affair: the hull was built in China and then transported to the Netherlands for outfitting. Here, RensenDriessen, a shipyard-independent, Dutch newbuild projects specialist, acted as the main contractor, with Heusden-based TeamCo Shipyard overseeing tank integration, engineering and final outfitting of the vessel.

Italian engineering firm Gas and Heat, which specialises in designing and building cryogenic tank systems and LNG-fuel supply systems for maritime applications, supplied the barge’s eight cylindrical, single-walled Type C LNG tanks. Each LNG tank features a capacity of 1,000m³ and has been engineered to store this alt-fuel at -165°C, and with a boil-off rate of 0.30% per day.

The tanks are pressure-rated 400kPa. According to Somtrans, the tanks will remain closed during operations, monitored by pressure and temperature sensors, and will only require direct internal checks during the barge’s five-year class inspections. The vessel’s eight cargo pumps are each rated 165m³ per hour. The barge’s LNG bunker arm measures 25m in length and has a capacity of 920m³ per hour.

Somtrans says that the completion of United LNG I ndicates how the model of hull construction in China, followed by final outfitting in Western Europe, is becoming increasingly common in European shortsea shipping.

Wim Driessen, MD of RensenDriessen, comments: “By combining efficient hull construction in China with local outfitting in Western Europe, we are now offering our hull-building expertise more widely to the shortsea shipping segment. These cylindrical LNG tanks take this project into new territory: integrating them at this scale is unique. It shows what is possible when a shipowner, contractor and yard work as one team.” TeamCo Shipyard MD Marcel Zweers adds: “This was not a standard build. The LNG systems, the tank integration, the bunkering equipment, all demanded precision.”

United LNG I features a moulded depth of 7.5m and a draught of approximately 4m, and is arranged to accommodate a crew of six. Onboard tank capacities include: 5,113m³ of ballast water; 30m³ of fresh water; and approximately 39.7m³ of fuel oil, split between one fore tank (1.7m³) and two aft tanks (19m³ each). This latter arrangement reflects the positioning of the engines, which include four MAN Rollo LNG models, each rated 525kW, at the fore of the vessel and two 800kW diesel generators and a single 117kW auxiliary diesel generator at its aft. The barge also carries two battery packs, each rated 200kWh.

Propulsion-wise, the barge incorporates two main azimuth thrusters, rated 1,305kW apiece and featuring propeller diameters of 1,900mm. These are complemented by a pair of 550kW bow thrusters.

Somtrans is now expecting delivery of a second sister barge, also under build at TeamCo Shipyard, aligned to plans to extend its bunkering capacity within the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region. “This comes as LNG bunker demand in Northwest Europe continues to expand, driven by new dual-fuel tonnage in the container, tanker, bulk, ro-ro and cruise segments,” the Somtrans spokesperson explains. “The global fleet of LNG-fuelled vessels continues to grow by double digits each year, driven by owners seeking cleaner operations and reliable access to alternative fuels.”

TeamCo Shipyard’s Zweers says that outfitting of the forthcoming sister, United LNG II, will commence in March 2026.