Energy logistics group Tristar has signed an agreement with Turkey’s Akdeniz Shipyard to build a hybrid bunker barge to operate in the UAE. Scheduled to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2025, the vessel will be positioned at Port of Fujairah on the east coast of the UAE.
The 750m3 capacity bunkering vessel is designed to house diesel generators as a backup to electric power. The barge will not have a conventional funnel and deck space saved will house the sizeable on board battery. Generators, if run, will discharge flue gases under water so that GHG emissions into the atmosphere are greatly reduced.
This design and the vessel’s powertrain are expected to lower carbon emissions significantly, especially when compared to conventional diesel propulsion. With well-planned operations, it is expected that carbon emissions will be reduced by more than 50%.
Tristar Group CEO, Eugene Mayne said: “We are creating another opportunity to pioneer green technology in an environment that has been familiar and fruitful for us, for many years. As a prominent player in the global maritime sector, it is obligatory for Tristar to be willing and able to take the first steps towards any feasible decarbonisation, and create sectoral change. As port infrastructure continues to develop in support of using electric barges for coastal operations, we are optimistic this bold move will encourage the local maritime industry to follow suit.”
The hybrid bunker barge will be built at the Akdeniz Shipyard in Adana, which is said to be the largest shipyard in Turkey and the wider Eastern Mediterranean in terms of area and capacity. As well as fuel, the barge will provide stores and supplies to vessels stopping at anchorage off Fujairah Port.
Tristar Group is headquartered in Dubai and offers global end-to-end fuel logistics solutions to clients including international and national oil companies, and intergovernmental organisations.
