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DSIC debuts ballast-free LNG carrier design

Dalian’s top shipyard has developed a ballast-free LNG carrier design moving the industry a step closer to ballast-free shipping

French gas containment specialists GTT and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) have received approval in principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for their 30,000 c m B-FREE LNG carrier design in a ceremony at Marintec China in Shanghai.

The design claims to have predicted lower build and operating costs.

“Savings in build cost are expected through the avoidance of fitting a ballast water treatment system (BWTS) and not having to comply with the Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) for ballast tanks, ballast piping, pumps and values. Operational savings should be seen from not having to, for example, run and maintain a BWTS, ballast systems and maintain ballast tank coatings. Initial predictions also show lower fuel consumption compared to ‘standard’ designs as well as lower LNG boil-off due to the GTT membrane, compared to a Type C tank,” British class society LR noted in a release.

Ma Yingbin, vice chief engineer, DSIC, commented: “While we are still in the initial stage of the project and the design is subject to ongoing change, the initial results are indicating that we will meet our goal of having a ballast-free ship that is equal to, or better than existing conventional designs. The cumulative improvements in operating costs coming from the combination of the various innovations and new ideas applied to the design are better than we anticipated, although we should be mindful that this is only the preliminary results phase and we need phase two to further refine and validate the design, we are hopeful this will result in more efficient small-scale LNG carriers.”

He added: “Interest received from owners and operators so far has exceeded our expectations. We have been consulting some experienced owners for their thoughts and feedback.”

Marintec China – Asia’s largest shipping show – closes tomorrow.

Jason Jiang

Jason is one of the most prolific writers on the diverse China shipping & logistics industry and his access to the major maritime players with business in China has proved an invaluable source of exclusives. Having been working at Asia Shipping Media since inception, Jason is the chief correspondent of Splash and associate editor of Maritime CEO magazine. Previously he had written for a host of titles including Supply Chain Asia, Cargo Facts and Air Cargo Week.
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