BV Approves Braemar’s LNG Containment System
Braemar Technical Services announced that Bureau Veritas (BV) has issued a General Design Approval for the FSP Type B LNG Containment System (FSP).
Starting with the General Dynamics NASSCO-patented tank design, for which the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyd’s Register had issued Approval in Principle (AiP) several years prior, Braemar engineered a new and improved containment system that meets the demands of LNG storage in marine, offshore and onshore applications. The containment system technology development project involved close cooperation with joint venture partners Honghua Offshore Ltd., EnTX Group, and Jamestown Metal Marine Services Inc.
BV issued the approval after witnessing the successful cryogenic testing of a prototype built by Shanghai Aerospace and outfitted at Honghua’s world-class facility in Shanghai.
Braemar said the enhanced FSP design incorporates several differentiating elements, including:
- Cost to construct FSP tanks is lower than equivalent IMO Type A, spherical Type B, other prismatic Type B, and Type C tanks for most size ranges
- FSP tanks are fabricated and outfitted in a clean, dedicated facility in parallel with hull or plant construction, shortening the critical path relative to projects utilizing membrane or conventional land-based tankage and ensuring the highest levels of quality control
- Volumetric efficiency of FSP tanks is flexible to meet project specific requirements and is higher than the latest spherical IMO Type B and all IMO Type C tanks, and is comparable to equivalent IMO Type A tanks
- FSP tanks are inherently more robust than IMO Type A and membrane tanks, and are less sensitive to construction tolerances than other IMO Type B tanks
The advantages of the FSP containment system are already being incorporated in the design of the LNG 21 export project, which is under development in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In its capacity as owner’s engineer, Braemar, in conjunction with Wood Group, is currently carrying out the FEED for the project which includes an FSP system with a total storage volume of 300,000 m3.
“We would not have achieved this historic milestone without the hard work and support of the JV members,” said Sheila McClain, Braemar’s Global Head of Engineering & Naval Architecture. “We are eager to commercialize the technology and are already working on several projects where stakeholders, such as the LNG21 developers, are excited by FSP’s combination of favorable economics, robust design, and short critical path from concept design to commissioning.”