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FueLNG Pte Ltd has selected the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to class its first LNG bunker barge.

The 7,500-cubic-metre-capacity vessel is due to be based in Singapore to perform LNG marine fuel deliveries to ships in the area. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2019.

As previously reported, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) awarded FueLNG - a joint venture between Shell and Keppel Offshore & Marine - with a co-funding grant of up to S$3m ($2.18m) to build its LNG bunker vessel, with Pavilion Gas Pte Ltd receiving the same amount.

The two vessels are slated for delivery in 2020.

ABS said on Monday that FueLNG's Singapore barge project was "a major milestone" in the development of an LNG supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.

"LNG as fuel has become an increasingly popular option for many shipowners looking to comply with environmental requirements and gain new operational efficiencies. Projects like this are critical to help expand the LNG supply chain and advance adoption of LNG as fuel," ABS Vice President Global Gas Solutions, Patrick Janssens, remarked.

LNG guide and Global Gas Solutions team

Last year, ABS published its Guide for LNG Bunkering, which sets out standards for LNG bunkering systems fitted to vessels intended for ship-to-ship LNG transfer.

The 25-page guide also addresses bunkering station safety, lifting and hose-handling equipment; control, monitoring and emergency shutdown safety systems; and emergency release systems.

Recognizing the changing industry landscape and increased focus on gas, ABS launched its Global Gas Solutions team in 2013 to support the development of gas-related projects. The team offers guidance in LNG floating structures and systems, gas fuel systems and equipment, gas carriers, and regulatory and statutory requirements.