LNG Bunker Vessel Christened
Bunker barge United LNG I was christened in the port of Antwerp, an important moment for shipping company Somtrans, main shipbuilding contractor RensenDriessen and outfitting partners TeamCo Shipyard and Gas & Heat.The vessel will enter service in early 2026, reinforcing the growing role of LNG bunkering in the Belgian and Dutch seaports.It is an estuary-class LNG bunker barge designed for both inland waterways and coastal service up to Zeebrugge. Measuring 135 x21.46 m, the barge carries eight cylindrical Type C cargo tanks of 1…
Class NK GDA for World First Vessel Tank Tech
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, and Nippon Steel Corporation have received the world’s first General Design Approval (GDA) from ClassNK for a breakthrough tank technology that enables the manufacture of large low-pressure liquefied CO₂ (LCO₂) cargo tanks without post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The achievement marks a significant step toward scaling up CO₂ transport capacity to support global carbon capture, utilization and storage…
Elevated Pressure Technology Reduces Energy Needs for Liquefied CO2 Storage
Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC), a subsidiary of NYK and Knutsen Group, has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the design of liquified CO2 carriers that stores and transports liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) at ambient temperature but elevated pressure.The new carrier uses cargo tank technology developed by KNCC to transport LCO2 in a stable state. Since there is no need to cool the LCO2 to cryogenic temperatures, it is easy to handle and potentially reduces energy and costs during liquefaction.NYK…
Industry Partners Bag ClassNK's Approvals for LCO2 Carrier, FLSU Designs
Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC), a subsidiary of NYK and Knutsen Group, has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the design of liquified CO2 carriers (LCO2-EP carrier) that use the elevated pressure (EP) method to store and transport liquefied CO2 at ambient temperature.ClassNK has carried out a design review of this ship in accordance with the Rules for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships, and has issued an AiP after confirming that the ship meets…
IHI, Vopak Ink Agreement to Develop Ammonia Terminals
Dutch tank storage company Vopak has signed an initial agreement with Japan's IHI Corporation to explore the development and operation of ammonia terminals, as they expect demand for the low-carbon fuel to grow amid energy transition.The companies will lean on their experience in building ammonia storage tanks and terminals to focus on developing large-scale ammonia storage terminals that will allow for economical distribution of the fuel, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.They…
DNV Gives Thumbs Up to Moss Maritime's LH2 Ship Transport Solution
Moss Maritime, Norwegian company specializing in design and engineering services to the offshore energy industry as well as other ocean-based sectors and a subsidiary of Italy's Saipem, has secured an Approval in Principle (AIP) from the classification society DNV for a containment system for ship transport of liquefied hydrogen (LH2).Ship transport of liquefied hydrogen is seen as one of the key technical challenges in realizing the energy transition to a carbon-free future…
HGK Shipping and Hydrogenious to Design Inland Waterway Vessel with Hydrogen Carrier Tech
Germany-based inland waterway shipping firm HGK Shipping has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime and Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies to work on developing a scalable solution to make hydrogen available as a source of energy on a large scale. The technology is based on hydrogen, which is bound in a liquid carrier (LOHC, liquid organic hydrogen carrier). The partners are planning to develop a demonstration vessel by 2028 and then put it into service…
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Earns AIP for LCO2 Spherical Cargo Tank System
Bureau Veritas (BV) said it has delivered an approval in principle (AIP) to Mitsubishi Shipbuilding – part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group – for a spherical cargo tank system for liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers.LCO2 carriers transport liquefied CO2 in a low temperature, high pressure state. Independent Type C tanks are typically used for the cargo tank system. Until now, various tank structures have been available, including cylindrical, bilobed and trilobed designs.Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has developed a new spherical cargo tank system for LCO2 carriers…
ABS Awards AiP to SHI LNG Re-liquefaction System
ABS has announced that it has awarded approval in principle (AiP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its innovative X-Reli LNG Boil Off Gas Expander – part of SHI’s Expansion Re-Liquefaction System.According to the statement from the South Korean shipbuilder the X-Reli system is optimized for low and medium pressure application, which SHI says offers increased efficiency and reliability over existing high-pressure re-liquefaction systems.“Re-liquefaction is a useful capability for owners and operators, offering increased flexibility and the potential to maximize cargo delivery. The ability to operate this at low or medium pressure reduces barriers to adoption of the technology and ABS is proud to be able to facilitate this…
SpaceTech4Sea Gets AIP for LNG Fuel Tank
ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to a conceptual design for carbon fibre LNG fuel tanks, in what it describes as a ‘milestone’ for a project to adapt space industry technology to small-scale LNG fueling.SpaceTech4Sea project sees ABS, OceanFinance and Cimarron Composites joining forces to adapt composite technologies developed for the space industry to LNG shipping.Backed by EUR1m funding from the European Union, the project explores whether composite technology, which is lighter and more cost-effective, offers a competitive alternative in LNG as marine fuel designs, principally for short sea shipping.“The potential of this technology to reduce barriers to the utilization of LNG as fuel for short sea shipping is significant.
Sulzer Acquires License for Total’s Wash Tank Technology
Sulzer’s Chemtech division has been granted a license covering the Total-patented Wash Tank Technology for Oil Processing. The main purpose of this technology is to enhance the removal of water, salt and contaminants from oil and emulsions, by a controlled distribution of the feed into the bottom of a hull tank of an FPSO/FSO/FPU which transforms the water-in-oil dispersion into an oil-in-water one where high efficiency phase separation takes place more easily. The technology also involves a simplification of the topsides crude oil process.
GTT, Endel Team-up to Roll-out Membrane Containment Systems
21 June 2016. GTT and the Endel company1 reaffirmed their collaboration in the area of LNG as a marine fuel, following the recent signature of a Technical Assistance and License Agreement (TALA) for the construction of GTT membrane containment systems. In the framework of this agreement, Endel created a mock-up of a Mark III type GTT membrane system. This partnership reinforces GTT's and Endel's product offering, and benefits clients wishing to equip their vessels with LNG membrane tanks adapted to all types of vessels, such as liners, container vessels, bulk carriers, and RO/RO vessels. This new collaboration, which enriches GTT's industrial partnerships…
Seaborne Ethane and Demand for a New Ship Type
Lloyd's Register report looks at the commercial landscape, regulatory issues and technical realities of a new trade in ethane emerging as a result of increased U.S. U.S. ethane production capability, as a byproduct of total increased U.S. gas production, is underutilized. The potential exists for annual exports of 1 million metric tons of ethane to provide employment for 0.18 million cubic meters of shipping capacity if shipped to North Europe, a further 0.32 Mn Cu M if shipped to South Asia and a similar amount to China through the Panama Canal.
BV to Class Largest Gas-fuelled Ro-pax Fleet
International classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) is to class a gas-fuelled major ro-ro passenger ferry newbuilding and oversee the conversion of three existing ro-pax ferries to LNG power for Brittany Ferries. A major risk analysis carried out by Bureau Veritas together with Tecnitas was integral to the decision process for Brittany Ferries to switch part of its fleet to gas fuel. Jean Jacques Juenet, passenger ship manager, Bureau Veritas, said, “We are proud to be deeply involved in this major project…
DSME's New LNG Tank Technology Approved by LR
The ACTIB tanks, constructed of insulated aluminium 5083, will have the world’s largest storage capacity in an independent, insulated LNG tank system. The volume capacity in the initial design will be nearly three times larger than comparable types currently in operation. Lloyd’s Register has approved new prismatic IMO Type B independent cargo tanks, so called ACTIB (Aluminium Cargo Tank Independent Type B). The initial approval is for use in a DSME-developed 210,000 m3 STD LNG-RV design in accordance with LR’s Guidance notes for liquefied gas carriers and floating offshore installations adopting IMO Type B independent tanks primarily constructed of plane surfaces.
