Approval in principle for LNG powered vessels
January 23, 2012
International vessel classification society Bureau Veritas has approved in principle a design for a 14,000teu containership to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), describing it as “a real milestone”.
The design was developed in a joint industry project between Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and French shipping line CMA CGM.
Jean-Francois Segretain, Deputy Technical Director at Bureau Veritas, said: “The market will determine when these ships can be ordered and built, but this is a real milestone as for the first time we have a fully worked and approved design for a main line ultra-large containership running on LNG.”
“Major operational savings are deliverable, combined with very much lower air emissions. And the key feature of this design is that the vessel can also run on HFO [heavy fuel oil] if required, increasing flexibility in the period before LNG bunkering is widely available.”
He added: “Compared to the same ship with a conventional fuel power plant, there will be extra capital cost for the engine and for the LNG tank and gas handling system, and there is a loss of cargo space equivalent to 438teu to make room for the gas tank and equipment.
“But the extra capital cost and the loss of earnings are more than offset by the fuel economies and lower emissions of this design.”
Courtesy of IFW
