(NEW ORLEANS) — Volvo Penta is featuring a new lineup of diesel barge pump systems in Booth 3001 at the 2015 International WorkBoat Show this week.
“We are working with our Power Center partners to develop a range of custom barge pump systems based on our Tier 3 diesel engines,” said Marcia Kull, vice president, marine sales, Volvo Penta of the Americas. “We invite all barge operators, shipyards and naval architects to visit our booth at the WorkBoat Show and get a first-hand look at these new products.”
On display will be a barge pump unit built by Allemand Industries, a Volvo Penta Power Center based in Harvey, La. Allemand’s barge pump product is built around a Volvo Penta D13 auxiliary engine. The Allemand system features a number of innovations, including a wider and taller housing to make for easier service and maintenance and catch trays to prevent accidental spills. The radiator-cooled engine can be supplied with air, electronic or hydraulic starters and also has an auxiliary drive for running a hydraulic pump.
“For over a year, we spoke with operators and asked them what they wanted to see in a barge pump unit,” said Neal Allemand, special projects manager for Allemand Industries. “Then we worked closely with the Volvo Penta engineers to fine-tune the product to meet customers’ needs. We are now bringing it to market to meet the demand from barge and crane operators for an energy-efficient and reliable Tier 3 engine-driven pump system that meets all major classification society specifications.”
Volvo Penta’s Power Center in Seattle, Pacific Power Group, is supplying Volvo Penta barge power units for installation on a pair of newbuild petroleum barges for Harley Marine Services. Each of the two 83,000-barrel articulated tug-barges (ATBs) is being equipped with two radiator-cooled 400-hp D13 MH engines, which drive vertical pumps to transfer cargo off the vessel. In addition, the ABS-classed barges have three radiator-cooled Volvo Penta D13 MG diesel generator sets to provide up to 1,188 kWe of power through the paralleling switchgear to drive a nitrogen inert gas system. The use of marine diesels with radiator cooling provides an extra measure of safety by maintaining a lower surface temperature in compliance with ABS and SOLAS standards.
“We are using the Volvo Penta engines to operate both our cargo pumps and the three large generators required for the inert gas system,” said Bryon Fletcher, regional director of petroleum barge operations at Harley Marine Services. “We are really happy with the engines in both applications. They are smooth and surprisingly quiet for relatively large engines.”
“The Volvo Penta barge power systems are SOLAS compliant and meet EPA Tier 3 emission standards without any exhaust after-treatment,” said Bill Mossey, vice president of Pacific Power Group.
