Four New Barges Launched for Canada's MTS

Four new 90-meter oil/deck cargo barges for Canada's Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Marine Transportation Services (MTS) have been launched by Nanjing Jinling Shipyard, in Nanjing, China.

The first barge MTS 3501 was launched on June 16, followed by barge MTS 3502 launched on June 22 and barges MTS 3503 and MTS 3504 launched on June 28.

The barges will undergo final testing and touch-up work in preparation for the 400-kilometer tow down the Yangtse River to Shanghai where they will be loaded onto a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and transported to Tuktoyaktuk, in the Northwest Territories, in Northern Canada.

The barges are designed by Robert Allan Ltd. to Lloyd’s Class Rules for double hulled oil barges and are compliant with MARPOL and Transport Canada Rules and Regulations. Each barge will be capable of carrying liquid petroleum cargoes and containerized and bulk deck cargoes.

The barges are designed for operations in the Beaufort Sea and for shallow draft operations on the Mackenzie River in Northern Canada. They will be operated by MTS primarily to deliver resupply goods to the communities along the Mackenzie River and the Beaufort Sea coastline. At the loadline draft each barge can carry a total deadweight of 3,373 tonnes, while at the river draft of 1.52 meters each barge can carry a total deadweight of 1,126 tonnes. Each barge has a liquid cargo capacity of 3 million liters.

Length overall: 90 m
Beam, molded: 18.9 m
Depth, least molded: 4 m
River draft: 1.52 m
Loadline draft: 2.82 m
Total deadweight at river draft (1.42 m): 1,126 tonnes
Total deadweight at load line draft (2.82 m): 3,373 tonnes
Arctic diesel capacity (95% full): 2,498 m3
Gasoline/aviation fuel at river draft: 543 m3
Spill tank: 6.9 m3
20-foot container capacity: 112 TEU

(Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.)