Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), the French marine storage tank and technology company, was selected by the shipbuilder STX France to fit out "Pegasis", the (Power Efficient GAS Innovative Ship), the new vessel to be propelled with LNG fuel and ordered by the European shipping company Brittany Ferries.
The vessel will use the GTT Mark III insulation system and will be built at the shipyard at Saint-Nazaire in Western France. It should be delivered by the end of 2016, GTT said.
In addition, GTT has also been selected to design the tanks of three other Brittany Ferries ships to be converted to LNG propulsion.
This order has arrived within the context of new European regulations, relating to sulphur oxide emissions, which strongly encourages ship-owners to consider using less polluting fuels.
With this prospect, propulsion with LNG represents one of the most competitive methods in order to respect the objectives of reducing emissions imposed by these new regulations.
Moreover, the membrane technology developed by GTT for LNG propulsion offers the ship-owners many advantages of optimization of space and cost.
Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT said: "This order marks the entrance of GTT into the new field of LNG bunkering, and demonstrates once again our clear expertise in the LNG industry.
"GTT is perfectly positioned to accompany its ship-owner customers during the industry-wide evolution towards more environmental ships," added Berterottière.
GTT storage tanks are fitted on about 70 percent of the current global fleet of 370 LNG carriers.
