LR Wins Landmark LNG Deal

Lloyd’s Register has won the classification contract for four 155,000 cu-m Technigaz Mk III membrane-type LNG carriers, ordered by BP Shipping at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) with a further four options. These ships are the largest LNG carriers ordered to date.

The ships are also noteworthy in that they will have dual fuel diesel electric propulsion and will be the first LNG ships with this type of propulsion to be built in Korea. Only a handful of LNG carriers in the world feature this form of propulsion, with most owners and operators opting for steam turbines.

The last of the first four ships will be built at Hyundai’s Samho yard, representing this particular yard’s first LNG carrier.

The BP ships are intended for trade in the Atlantic basin and will serve, among others, Trinidad and Tobago’s Atlantic LNG project, the UK, the US and Spain.

Lloyd’s Register already classes three of BP Shipping’s LNG carriers, all built at Samsung and delivered in 2002-2003: British Trader, British Innovator and British Merchant.

“The winning of this contract confirms Lloyd’s Register’s position as the number one classification society for LNG carriers,” says Tony Bingham, Lloyd’s Register’s Global LNG Business Manager. “Our technical experience and expertise, coupled with an unrivalled number of fully trained and qualified LNG surveyors uniquely enables us to provide shipowners and yards with the high quality classification service they require.”