LNG

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French maritime LNG storage technology company, has named Jean-Baptiste Choimet to the position of Chief Executive of GTT as part of a new strategy to adopt more green policy governance.

GTT said that Choimet was scheduled to take up his post on June 12, 2024.

Aged 42, Choimet is a graduate of one of France’s grande école, the Ecole Polytechnique, and is a graduate in Advanced Chemical Engineering Practice from Cambridge University in England.

Jean-Baptiste Choimet joined the GTT group in 2020 and became Managing Director of Elogen, a subsidiary of the Group specializing in design and manufacturing of electrolysers to produce green hydrogen.

Background

Hydrogen energy has gathered substantial support from industry, government and the public to position it as a pivotal future fuel source.

However, its commercial realisation faces significant hurdles, including slow infrastructure growth and the high cost of producing clean hydrogen solely from renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

In his earlier career, Choimet also contributed to the development of the Dunkirk LNG terminal project by French utilty EDF before joining French banking group Société Générale to create the LNG trading desk.

In 2012, he joined French LNG engineering company Technip, where he held commercial functions and worked on major LNG projects in Australia and Russia.

He joined the Bouygues Construction group in 2019 where he oversaw operations for the deployment of telecoms networks.

GTT said that the decision to appoint Choimet to replace Philippe Berterottière, the currently CEO, was taken “unanimously by the Board of GTT and “as the culmination of a rigorous selection process” led by the Appointments and Remuneration Committee, chaired by Catherine Ronge.

“Furthermore, so that GTT can continue to benefit from the experience and commitment of Philippe Berterottière to the success of the group, the Board of will renew the latter in his role as Chairman of the Board for the remaining period of his term of office as director,” GTT explained.

Paris-based GTT stated that these decisions were part of the separation of the functions of Chairman and CEO decided by the GTT Board of Directors on February 17, 2022.

“The new governance of the GTT group will take effect on June 12, 2024,” GTT said.

Catherine Ronge, head of the nominations and committee, said that as part of a demanding process initiated several months ago, the committee had reviewed several high-quality applications.

“The managerial and professional skills, particularly in the key areas of LNG and hydrogen, the personal qualities and achievements of Jean-Baptiste Choimet in the General Management of Elogen were assessed by the Board as particularly in line with GTT's requirements and the group's development strategy,” Ronge declared.

“Jean-Baptiste Choimet's sustained involvement with the Group and its teams will constitute an essential asset to ensure a seamless transition, within the framework of the new governance of the GTT group,” she added.

Strategy

Outgoing CEO Berterottière said he was proud of the ambitious development strategy pursued by the GTT group, both in its core business and in its new markets.

“Faithful to its purpose, GTT has been able to initiate an in-depth transformation to support its clients in facing their future challenges and contribute to building, with them, a sustainable world,” stated Berterottière.

“I am delighted with the appointment of Jean-Baptiste Choimet to accelerate GTT’s progress in this direction,” he added.

“Together, we share the same passion for technology and innovation, as well as a strong attachment to the GTT group, which I will be proud to continue to serve, alongside him, in my role as President,” added Berterottière.

Future CEO Choimet thanked the board for the trust in him it had demonstrated.

“I look forward to working with all the teams of the GTT group and to being supported in this great mission by Philippe Berterottière, with whom I have worked in trust for more than three years,” declared Choimet.

“I approach this new role with enthusiasm at the head of a group which is today a leading global technological player in the maritime and energy world,” he stated.

“I will be keen to mobilize the teams to continue and accelerate the evolution of the GTT group towards the technologies the world will need in the coming decades,” the incoming CEO added.

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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.

French liquefied natural gas storage technology firm Gaztranzport and Technigaz (GTT) has launched a tool for ship-owners, to prepare the voyages of their vessels to reduce overall fuel consumption and to manage boil-off gas in the tanks.

GTT said the new digital “smart shipping” product is called “LNG Optim”.

“For several years, GTT Group has been extending its range of services to support the maritime industry in its digital and energy transformation, with the launch of smart-shipping solutions to optimize the energy performance of ships,” said GTT.

It explained that the “LNG Optim” solution is based on GTT's expertise in studying boil-off gas management.

GTT said “LNG Optim” was developed in collaboration with the group’s subsidiaries, Ascenz, Marorka and OSE Engineering and has already been adopted by major players in the LNG shipping sector.

The firm added that the studies performed to design the product took into account the modelling of complex phenomena such as LNG ageing, the influence of sea states on boil-off gas generation, as well as the impact of active systems like reliquefaction plants and sub-coolers.

“This new technological innovation from GTT, which is the result of joint work between the different teams of the group, marks our ambition in the very promising ‘Smart Shipping’ field,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive.

“Our digital product aims to support ship-owners, charterers and operators in the energy transition, by optimizing the operational and environmental performance of their LNG-fuelled vessels,” added the CEO.

GTT acquired one of its smart-shipping firms, Iceland-based Marorka, in February 2020 to boost its offering to the LNG sector.

GTT bought Marorka 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.

Its systems were installed on more than 600 vessels when GTT bought the company.

GTT saw Marorka as a good technical, commercial and geographical complement to Ascenz, GTT’s subsidiary based in Singapore. 

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French designer of liquefied natural gas maritime and onshore storage systems, has been fined by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country’s anti-trust regulator, for unfair tie-in sales to South Korean shipbuilders.

May 14 (LNGJ) - French LNG storage technology firm GTT has received an order from the South Korean shipyard, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, concerning the tank design of two new 174,000 cubic metres capacity LNG carriers on behalf of the Greek ship-owner, Maran Gas. The delivery of the ships is planned for the first half of 2021.

   “We are very pleased to continue our partnership of excellence with DSME with this new order for Maran Gas,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.

May 7 (LNGJ) - GTT, the French LNG storage technology, has received an order notification from the South Korean shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries for the tank design of a new 174,000 cubic metres capacity carrier on behalf of the Greek shipowner, Capital Gas Carriers. The vessel will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system.

   The delivery of the ship is planned for the third quarter of 2021. “We are very happy to receive this new order from our long-term partner HHI and to continue to accompany Capital Gas Carriers in its development in the LNG industry,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French engineering and technology company specializing in the design of membrane containment systems for shipping, said its main business activity was at an all-time high for conventional LNG carriers amid growing orders also from the fuel and bunkering sector.