ABS has given full design approval for the class of the
compressed natural gas (CNG) carrier designed and developed by
Canadian-based Sea NG Corporation. Full approval follows the earlier
Approval in Principle (AIP) issued by ABS for the Sea NG design in 1997 and
is the
first full class approval for a CNG carrier issued by the Bureau.
Sea NG is expected to award construction of three Coselle CNG carriers
later this year. These first vessels are intended to service projects in
the Caribbean or Mediterranean Seas.
The vessel's design has been approved to the standards established in the
ABS Guide for Vessels Intended to Carry Compressed Natural Gases in Bulk as
well as applicable parts of the ABS Steel Vessel Rules. Once constructed
and accepted into class by ABS the vessels will carry the notation CNG
Carriers.
Sea NG uses its proprietary Coselle system for storing and transporting
CNG. This patented system uses small diameter high-strength steel pipe
coiled into a carousel to store the high-pressure natural gas. The
carousel provides support and protection for the pipe and facilitates
transport and stacking of the Coselles within the ship. Each Coselle will
comprise approximately 10 miles of 6-inch diameter pipe.
These Sea NG vessels will be 120m in length and have the capacity to carry
50 million standard cubic feet of gas (MMSCF) in 16 Coselles (160 miles of
pipe in total). The 16 Coselles are arranged in four stacks of four high
in a fully enclosed and inerted cargo house on the weather deck. The
vessels will feature a dual fuel propulsion system with bow thruster.
The Sea NG vessels also feature a proprietary high and low pressure
manifold system for efficient loading and unloading of the natural gas.