Qatar Gas Transport Co. expands fleet to 80 ships with orders from Korean shipyard for LNG and LPG vessels
Qatar Gas Transport Company, known as Nakilat and a global leader in liquefied natural gas shipping, is expanding its fleet to 80 ships through 2027 with orders just placed with a South Korean shipyard for six new gas carriers.
South Korean class society awards approval to Hyundai design for LNG-powered Very Large Gas Carrier
The Korean Register, the classification society of the Republic of Korea, has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) for an LNG dual-fuel Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) jointly developed by KR and South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The award was made at the five-day Gastech energy conference and exhibition in the Asian city state of Singapore.
“Currently, the global maritime industry is grappling with the development of various counter-measures to meet strengthening greenhouse-gas regulations and there is more market interest in eco-friendly ships fueled with LNG in particular,” said KR.
The newly approved LNG dual-fuel VLGC, which has been developed in response to market needs, utilizes both marine gas oil (MGO) and LNG as fuel and incorporates two LNG fuel tanks positioned on both sides of the open deck.
HHI executed the ship’s basic design, established the layout of fuel supply pipes and the gas detection system and designed the LNG fuel tank using their technical expertise.
Verified
KR verified the safety, suitability and the regulatory compliance of the design by reviewing national and international regulations, leading to the issuance of the AIP for the LNG dual-fuel VLGC.
“KR has been focusing on the development of eco-friendly technologies relevant to LNG for several years because LNG is considered a major alternative that can meet the international regulations,” said Kim Yeontae, Executive Vice President of KR’s Technical Division.
“We will further enhance our customer support to respond to decarbonization, based on our experience and technologies acquired from joint development projects with shipyards,” Kim added.
Jeon Seungho, HHI’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, said he was delighted with the award.
“HHI has been working to develop eco-friendly fuel propulsion ships such as LNG using our accumulated design technologies, and we are pleased to demonstrate our technical expertise with this AIP,” Jeon explained.
Order book
“We will continue to make technological innovations for the development of eco-friendly ships,” he stated.
HHI is one of the world’s leading builder of LNG carriers as well as LNG-powered vessels at its Ulsan shipyard.
The advanced facilities give the Korean company a 10 percent share of the global market. The main HHI yard stretches over 4 kilometres along the coast and has 10 large-scale drydocks with nine huge “Goliath Cranes”.
South Korea’s class society gives approval to Hyundai shipbuilding for new tank shape to tackle LNG sloshing
The Korean Register (KR), the maritime classification society of the Republic of Korea with 80 offices around the world, has awarded an Approval in Principle to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for a new type of tank shape designed for various liquefied gases and fuels.
The Korean society said that new tank shape developed by HD HHI, the nation’s largest shipbuilding company and formerly called Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co., is designed to improve maritime safety and productivity.
“The new tank shape aims to address the challenge of sloshing that impacts the transportation of liquefied gases such as LNG,” said KR.
“Sloshing refers to the wave-like movement of liquid inside a tank during sea transport. It is crucial to ensure structural stability by minimizing sloshing flow caused by the ship's motion, as excessive sloshing can exert significant impact forces on the tank walls, jeopardizing its structural integrity,” KR explained.
Classed fleet
The society, headquartered in the South Korean port of Busan, currently classes an international fleet of 3,080 vessels.
KR said that HD HHI has successfully optimized the shape of the liquefied gas tank, effectively reducing the sloshing effect and enhancing stability.
“This significantly mitigates the risk of accidents and potential disasters during transportation. Furthermore, the innovative tank design incorporates an improved layout, leading to enhanced work efficiency and productivity,” added KR.
“The newly developed tank shape exemplifies cutting-edge technology that combines improved safety measures, increased productivity and efficient sloshing reduction techniques,” KR said.
HD HHI said it planned to expand the application of the new tanks to various liquefied gas carriers and other ships in the future.
It was expected that HD HHI would continue to strengthen its competitiveness in the liquefied carrier shipbuilding market, including LNG, by “providing safe and reliable solutions” to customers.
KR stated that it was “committed to actively collaborating” with the technology development of new tank types.
“As a leading classification society, KR will provide comprehensive technical support to facilitate the development of next-generation eco-friendly ships, further promoting the advancement of maritime industry,” it added.
