LNG

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French liquefied natural gas storage technology company, has received an order from China for five very large LNG-powered containerships to be constructed in South Korea.

Sept 27 (LNGJ) - GTT, the French designer of maritime and onshore LNG storage tanks, continues to build its Chinese portfolio of orders. The Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai has ordered tank designs for two LNG carriers ordered by shipping company Shandong Marine Energy (Singapore) Ltd.

   “GTT will design the tanks of these two vessels, which will each offer a capacity of 175,000 cubic metres. The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system developed by GTT,” the Paris-based company said. The delivery of the vessels is scheduled between the first and second quarters of 2027.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, received three approvals from European classification society DNV on its latest development projects in alternative fuels.

Ascenz Marorka, a subsidiary of French storage tanks technology company GTT, has been awarded two contracts by the Chinese natural gas and LNG player, the JOVO Group, to provide two LNG carriers with smart-shipping equipment.

JOVO is based in Guangdong province of southern China where it is one of the main suppliers of LNG and other fuels in the Pearl River Delta area.

The Chinese company is involved in LNG importing, trading and the city-gas business as well as pipeline gas deliveries and natural gas filling stations for vehicles.

GTT smart-shipping unit Ascenz Marorka has emerged from the joint branding of Singapore-based Ascenz and Icelandic firm Marorka, which was acquired by GTT.

These contracts for JOVO’s two LNG carriers cover the installation of automatic data collection systems and software for managing and optimising the energy and environmental performance of the ships.

Voyage management

“Crew on board and personnel ashore will benefit from a comprehensive set of modules such as voyage management, LNG cargo optimisation, machinery optimisation, trim optimisation and fuel monitoring,” said GTT.

“In addition, JOVO will also benefit from exclusive LNG features developed through GTT’s unique expertise such as LNG cargo monitoring, boil-off gas management and heel optimisation,” stated the Paris-based parent company.

“We are honoured by the trust that JOVO places in us to support them on their journey towards digitalisation, operational optimisation and effective decarbonisation,” said Anouar Kiassi, Vice-President of Digital and Information at GTT.

“We are delighted to work hand in hand with a shipowner committed to operational and environmental excellence,” stated Kiassi.

Lu Yuan, Managing Director of LNG International Business for the JOVO Group, said the company was delighted to extend its cooperation with GTT and Ascenz Marorka.

“The deployment of these innovative and unique solutions and services on board our LNG carriers will enable us to better operate our vessels, unload larger volumes of LNG cargoes, improve general safety, assist crews in their demanding tasks and achieve our environmental goals,” Lu declared.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company for shipping and onshore, said the Supreme Court of Korea rejected GTT's appeal on licence and technical assistance deals with South Korean shipyards.

The Paris-based company had appealed against the decision of the Seoul High Court confirming the company's obligation to separate, in whole or in part, the “Technology License and the Technical Assistance” agreements if requested by the South Korean shipyards it has dealings with.

GTT had filed its appeal against the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) decision in December 2022.

“GTT acknowledges this very surprising decision, which comes only three months after the decision of the same Supreme Court of Korea to suspend the effects of the decision of the Seoul High Court,” said GTT.

The French company said it considered that its provision of technical assistance and engineering services “were essential to ensure the safety and performance” of its solutions and that its “unique expertise” was crucial to the safety of LNG maritime transport.

Defending interests

“Convinced of the sound basis of its contractual provisions, GTT is still committed to defending its interests and those of the entire LNG industry, and is considering the most appropriate actions to be taken in order to maintain its rights,” stated the Paris-based company.

“The company does not anticipate any significant financial impact in the short or medium term,” it added.

The KFTC in December 2022 had ordered GTT to allow the Korean shipyards, upon their request, to perform all or part of the technical assistance services currently included in the technology licenses and to pay €9.5 million ($10.40M) as an administrative fine.

The loss of the Korea appeal comes as GTT continues to expand its relationships with Chinese companies and shipyards where it has similar accords and is building the LNG tanks storage technology business.

On the occasion of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron’s to Beijing on April 6, 2023, PipeChina Engineering Technology Innovation Co. signed a cooperation agreement for the evaluation and further promotion of GTT’s membrane containment tank technology for LNG projects in China.

PipeChina Group is currently operating seven LNG receiving terminals in China and three new LNG import projects are under construction.

As the largest operator of LNG infrastructure in China, PipeChina said it was keen to expand its cooperation with GTT.

Adnan Ezzarhouni, General Manager of GTT China, explained that GTT had already delivered onshore tanks to the Chinese.

These were for a peak-shaving project at Hejian in Hebei province, operated by Huagang Gas, as well as Phase I of the giant Beijing Gas Tianjin-Nangang onshore LNG terminal and the company was seeking additional contracts.

GTT has major collaborations with major Chinese shipyards such as Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp., and Jiangnan Shipbuilding located northeast of Shanghai on Changxing Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company for shipping and onshore, has created a new smart-shipping brand from subsidiaries based in Singapore and Iceland.

The brand merger of the units is under the name Ascenz Marorka, taking the name of the Singaporean company Ascenz and the Europe-based Marorka.

GTT acquired Marorka, a smart-shipping company based in Reykjavik with services much sought by the LNG industry, in February 2020.

Marorka was bought from its owners and management team for an undisclosed sum.

The company designs maritime energy monitoring and optimization systems for vessels allowing them to reduce their environmental footprint and also provides other benefits.

The Islandic company’s systems were at the time of its acquisition by GTT installed on more than 600 vessels.

Marorka was purchased as a good technical, commercial and geographical complement to the Far East smart-shipping unit Ascenz.

Ascenz bunkering

One of the initiatives of Ascenz was to launch in 2021 the Electronic Bunker Delivery Note (eBDN) solution to improve the efficiency and transparency of the bunkering process in the Port of Singapore.

“Ascenz Marorka’s mission is to provide ship-owners and charterers around the world with the most comprehensive, innovative and reliable solutions that meet customers’ requirements, by offering a complete range of solutions, from the sensors to the modular software platform, in addition to high-value services provided by the Group’s experts,” explained GTT.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT, said he was proud to announce the launch of the Ascenz Marorka brand as part of a comprehensive digital strategy.

“With Ascenz Marorka, our ambition is to combine the digital expertise of our Group more effectively and to provide even more value to our customers in their journey for efficiency and sustainability,” explained Berterottière.

Anouar Kiassi, Vice-President Digital and Information at GTT, said that thanks to 30 combined years of experience the Ascenz Marorka brand would provide a great service to ship owners.

“The new brand will put us in a stronger position to design and distribute superior solutions to our customers and meet the evolving requirements of the maritime industry,” Kiassi stated.

March 20 (LNGJ) - Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, has taken first place for a fourth consecutive year in list of patent applications from medium-sized companies made to the French Patent and Trademark Office, l’Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle.

   GTT said it had 57 patents published in 2022. “In the ranking of the Top 50 patent applicants in all categories, GTT is in 23rd place and has moved up seven places compared to the 2021 list,” said the Paris-based company. GTT said the ranking highlighted its “strong dynamic for innovation” and with a high research and development budget representing an average of 10 percent of the group’s turnover.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, reported a slight drop in full-year revenues though the results were strong as orders also reached a record level with demand increasing for new vessels.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, has completed the construction of two full containment tanks for the new Nangang LNG import terminal being constructed by the parent company of Beijing Gas Group at Tianjin port in northeast China.

GTT’s order was received from its partner company, China Huanqiu Contracting and Engineering Co. (HQCEC), for the design of eight very large storage tanks each with a capacity of 220,000 cubic metres.

“They are the world's largest onshore LNG storage tanks incorporating the GST® membrane containment technology,” said GTT.

The Paris-based company said the construction schedule remained on track despite the constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

GTT added that the two onshore tanks were now entering the commissioning phase and would be operational in the first half of 2023.

The new Tianjin-Nangang project comprises three phases and will be the the third facility to serve the northeast Chinese port supplying the gas needs of Beijing.

The existing facilities currently include the Tianjin North onshore terminal operated by China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) and had included a separate floating facility when required.

Huge project

“The construction of these first two onshore tanks marks an important milestone for BGG's LNG terminal in Tianjin,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT Group.

“These tanks are the first of eight planned for the site and are already the largest onshore tanks in the world equipped with our GST® technology. We thank BGG and the Chinese government for their trust and wish HQCEC every success for this new terminal,” he declared.

GTT said its technology offered many advantages compared with a traditional onshore LNG tank.

This includes safer storage management through integrated monitoring and greater storage capacity for the same footprint.

“This milestone is the reward of five years of assessment, preparation, engineering and actual construction,” said Li Yalan, who is Chairwoman of the Beijing Gas unit of parent company Beijing Entreprises Group.

“We are proud to have evolved this emerging technology into a promising solution for many projects around the world,” added Li, whose is also the current President of the International Gas Union.

“Thanks to this world first, these containment membrane tanks are on their way to becoming the state-of-the-art in LNG storage. We have been impressed by the dedication and passion of GTT and HQCEC to make this world-first a success,” she stated.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French designer of LNG storage tanks for ships and for onshore including record licensing orders for LNG carrier membrane tanks, has decided on a full withdrawal from contracts for Russian ships and projects.

GTT has been involved in tank design for 15 ice-breaker LNG carriers currently being built at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (Zvezda) in the Russian Far East and for the design of three gravity-based storage tanks for other projects.

The Paris-based company said that as of October 1, 2022, revenues of €74 million ($80M) remained to be recognised for the ice-breaking LNG carriers by 2025 and €12M for the GBSs by 2027, which was a total exposure representing less than 6 percent of the order book.

“Following an in-depth analysis of European sanction packages No. 8 and No. 9 notably prohibiting engineering services with Russian companies, the group announces that it is ceasing its activities in Russia,” stated GTT.

The company explained that as of January 8, 2023, the contract with Russia’s Zvezda would be suspended and GTT's interventions would be limited, on the two most advanced LNG carriers, to ensuring the “safety of the projects” and the “integrity of the technology” in compliance with the international sanctions in force.

GBS projects

With regards to the GBS projects, the terms of GTT's departure are currently being finalised.

GTT added that these elements would have a financial impact mainly from 2023.

“GTT's order book will no longer include projects in Russia in the future. In addition, from 2023 onwards, the group's annual targets will exclude the revenues and EBITDA that would be generated by the last services in progress in Russia,” it added.

The company added that other shipping orders under construction in Asian shipyards, relating to six ice-breaking LNG carriers and two Floating storage units (FSUs), are intended specifically for Russian Arctic LNG projects.

“To date, these projects are proceeding normally. As of October 1, 2022, these orders represented a total revenue of €31M for GTT, to be recognised by 2024,” it said.

“Finally, eight conventional LNG carriers ordered by international shipowners, under construction in Asian shipyards, are also intended for Russian Arctic projects, but can operate in all types of conditions,” explained GTT.

“The group remains sensitive to the evolution of the situation and is taking all necessary measures to protect its employees and stakeholders, in compliance with international sanctions,” it concluded.