Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has delivered a new articulated tug barge (AYB) unit to Kirby Corp.
“We are pleased to deliver this new addition to the Kirby fleet. This beautiful vessel is a testament to the skills of the extraordinary American men and women who built this ship and who strive daily to deliver rugged and reliable ships that will stand the test of time,” Todd Thayse, vice president and general manager at Bay Shipbuilding, said in a statement.
The 130'x42'x23' tug Ronnie Murph has a 19' draft. The 8,000-hp vessel has a speed of 12-plus knots. The 521'x72'x41' barge, Kirby 155-03 has a 155,000-bbl. capacity.
“We want to thank all the men and women at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding who helped deliver the ATB Ronnie Murph and Kirby 155-03,” said Kirby CEO David Grzebinski. “This is the third 155,000-barrel ATB it has built for Kirby in the past three years. This new Jones Act-compliant ATB unit will allow us to continue our commitment to provide efficient and reliable customer service.”
Kirby is the largest tank barge operator in the U.S., transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. coasts, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. The company operates the largest inland and offshore tank barge fleets in the U.S.
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is a division of Fincantieri Marine Group, the U.S. subsidiary of global shipbuilding giant Fincantieri, which employs almost 20,000 people in 20 shipyards on four different continents.
Fincantieri Marine Group serves government customers, including the Navy and Coast Guard. It has three shipyards — Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri Ace Marine — all located in the Great Lakes region.
