The tugboat company Rimorchiatori Riuniti Panfido and the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority have shown Cargo Unit, a semi-ballastable barge transporter.

The new bunkering platform will operate in conjunction with a tug that will find room directly inside the prow and be incorporated in the keel, creating a single marine system.

Cargo Unit will offer 4,000 m3 of capacity for carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), plus 1,000 m3 for marine diesel oil.

The 109 m-long and 26.7 m-wide bunkering platform will operate in the North Adriatic Sea, offering bunkering services to chiefly cruise ships.

Together with a tug, the new platform is under the final stage of construction at the Rosetti Marino shipyard in Ravenna.

The €40m worth Cargo Unit, including the EU's support of €9.5m from the Connecting Europe Facility, is the outcome of the Poseidon MED II project.

Photo: Calderan Group