ABS at Forefront of Technical Issues for LNG Carriers
With the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade expected to significantly increase over the next decade, transporting LNG with carriers upwards of 33 percent larger than previous designs means particular attention must be addressed to key technical concerns to assure that the new generation of larger LNG carriers provides the same high degree of reliability as its predecessors. Operators are driving the demand for increased size of these specialized vessels to take advantage of the economies of scale. “By increasing the size of the standard LNG carrier from about 145,000m3 (cubic meters) to 200,000m3 and even larger, it is estimated that there could be a reduction in transportation costs by as much as 15 percent,” says ABS Senior Consultant, Energy Project Development Group, James Gaughan.
Gas Ships: Large LNG Carriers ABS Addresses Tech Concerns
As the LNG trade significantly increase over the next decade, transporting the fuel in ever larger, more sophisticated ships means particular attention must be paid to technical issues to ensure the present and long-term viability of the new generation of larger LNG carriers. Operators continue driving the demand for larger LNG ships to take advantage of the economies of scale. "By increasing the size of the standard LNG carrier from about 145,000 to 200,000 cu. m. and even larger, it is estimated that there could be a reduction in transportation costs by as much as 15 percent," said James Gaughan, ABS Senior Consultant, Energy Project Development Group. Another advantage with larger LNG ship designs is a reduction in the amount of cargo boiled off as a percentage of volume.
ABS Provides Approval In Principle To Ocean LNG Tank And Carrier Design
Class society ABS has issued Approval In Principle (AIP) to a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank containment system and carrier design developed by Houston-based Ocean LNG Inc. The tank design consists of a cylindrical tank with spherical dished ends. The 180,000m3 carrier design features five of these large 36m diameter and 40m high cylinder tanks each holding a volume of 36,000m3 of LNG. Ocean LNG asserts that the design maximizes the void spaces in the ship’s hull yet still provides full access around the tank for inspections of both the insulation and tank structure. Compared to the traditional spherical LNG tank containment system…
