The barge will be used for STS bunkering exercise in September. File Image / Pixabay

Washington Maritime Blue is seeking a naval architecture firm to develop concept designs for a methanol bunker barge to be used in a planned methanol bunkering readiness exercise at Washington state's Seattle-Tacoma Gateway.

The proposed vessel would be an unmanned, non-self-propelled bunker barge with an expected methanol carrying capacity of around 30,000 bbls, according to the RFP issued on May 11.

It will be designed solely for the transport and transfer of methanol fuel and is expected to bunker cargo, container, cruise or ro-ro vessels.

The design will be used during a ship-to-ship methanol bunkering exercise forming part of a high-level risk assessment workshop scheduled for September 2026.

Participants will examine operational requirements and safety considerations associated with methanol, including its toxicity, flammability, and low flash point.

Contractors will be required to produce drawings covering bunkering procedures, methanol piping systems, tank arrangements, hazardous zones, firefighting systems, emergency shutdown layouts and mooring arrangements.

The designs are intended to provide a realistic technical basis for discussions on methanol bunkering safety and operational readiness.

Proposals are due by June 1, with the selected contractor expected to deliver the designs by July 31 ahead of the September workshop.

The project is being carried out with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, Northwest Seaport Alliance and ABS as part of an EPA-funded initiative exploring green methanol as a marine fuel.