Wison Offshore & Marine has announced the delivery of what it describes as the world's first barge-based floating liquefied natural gas storage and regasification unit to Belgian company Exmar.

Exmar also confirmed that "long-term employment" has been secured for the unit with a "reputable counterpart" beginning in mid-2018, but did not elaborate, saying more details would be available in due course.

Exmar called the unit part of a "new generation of floating regasification assets, barge based, and perfectly positioned to add value in medium sized LNG import projects all over the world in a fast track, flexible and cost efficient way."

"The delivery of the FSRU is a testimony of EXMAR’s commitment to continuously improve the solutions we offer to the LNG supply chain industry," Exmar chief executive Nicolas Saverys said.

"I am very pleased and honoured that long-term employment for the FSRU was secured prior to delivery."

The barge built at the Wison Nantong shipyard boasts LNG storage capacity of 25,000 cubic metres and re-gasification capacity of 600 million standard cubic feet equivalent per day.

"Successful delivery of the project again showcases Wison’s strong capability to deliver cost-effective solutions," said Mr Ying Cui, chief executive of Wison Offshore & Marine. "We are committed to commercialization of global LNG industry by delivering higher returns for various types of infrastructure investors, making LNG more affordable."

The barge is designed as a flexible solution to receive LNG, aiming for lower capex and lead time for project developers.

The project "was executed with a quest for efficiency and openness to innovation", according to Wison. The company employed a "modularised" approach aimed at shortening the schedule and lowering the risks in construction, and developed a dedicated cargo-handling system for a component of unit, the SPB tanks.

Mr Huaqing Wei, Project Director for the FSRU Project and Deputy General Manager of Wison (Nantong) Heavy Industry said: "We are glad to continue working with Exmar on the first-of-its-kind floating LNG projects and feel grateful for concerted efforts by all partners who made it happen.”

Earlier this year, Wison delivered another key unit called Caribbean LNG, the world’s first barge-based floating liquefied natural gas liquefaction and storage facility