Hanwha completes LNG ship-to-ship transfer during sea trials
South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has completed the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of LNG between two vessels while both were on sea trials off Geoje Island. This operational breakthrough involved the new-built Maran Gas Syros and GasLog’s Woodside Jirrubakura.
ABB to power Singapore’s first FLNG terminal
ABB has secured a contract from Hanwha Ocean to supply the electric power and propulsion system for Singapore’s first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) terminal. Once in service, the terminal will increase Singapore’s LNG import capacity by 50% and add flexibility to the nation’s gas grid.
Global fleet of LNG-capable ships expands as bunkering gets easier
LNG as a marine fuel is gaining traction, notably in the very large crude carrier (VLCC) segment where 21 vessels are in service and 14 on order, Lloyds Register finds. Four of these VLCCs were built by Hanwha Ocean, as part of the ‘Neptune project’, on behalf of Advantage Tankers.
South Korea and UAE sign trade deal including future LNG carrier orders and $30Bln of investment in Korea
A South Korean trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates has been signed in Seoul and included a future order for at least six LNG carriers from the UAE and a pledge of $30 billion of investments in Korean industries.
QatarEnergy signs time-charter party agreements for 25 newbuilds with Qatar’s Nakilat for fleet expansion
QatarEnergy, the leading global LNG producer and with three growth projects being developed has signed time-charter party (TCP) agreements with Qatar Gas Transport Co. (Nakilat) for the operation of 25 conventional-size LNG vessels as part of the second shipowner tender under Qatar’s LNG fleet expansion programme.
The agreements were signed in Doha by Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and Chief Executive of QatarEnergy and Abdullah Al-Sulaiti, the CEO of Nakilat.
A statement said that 17 of the 25 LNG vessels are being constructed at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in South Korea, while the remaining eight are being constructed at Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, also in South Korea.
“These agreements firm up last month’s selection of Nakilat as the owner and operator of up to 25 conventional-size LNG carriers, underscoring our continued confidence in Qatar’s flagship LNG shipping and maritime company,” said Al-Kaabi.
“This is a testament to Nakilat’s world-class capabilities as well as to the significant contributions of Qatari listed companies to our country’s national economy,” he explained.
“The agreements we signed today play an important role in implementing QatarEnergy’s historic LNG shipping programme, which will cater for our future requirements, as we move forward with the expansion of our LNG production capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum by 2030,” Al-Kaabi stated.
Each of the 25 vessels will have a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres and will be chartered out by Nakilat to affiliates of QatarEnergy pursuant to the 15-year TCP agreements.
Liquefaction surge
Qatar announced at the end of February 2024 that it was going ahead with a third huge expansion called the North Field West (NFW) project to take overall output to 142 MTPA by the end of the decade.
The NFW joint venture will add to production expansions already under way with the North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) LNG projects.
The current NFE ramp-up of QatarEnergy’s liquefaction capacity will take production from 77 MTPA to 110 MTPA by 2027.
The second phase, called the NFS venture, will further increase the LNG output capacity from 110 MTPA to 126 MTPA.
The new NFW project will be developed to take production to 142 MTPA.
Overall the three expansions will put into production a total of eight LNG mega-Trains, each with nameplate capacity of around 8 MTPA and total additional nameplate capacity of just over 64 MTPA.
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean considers sector expansion while building up LNG newbuild orderbook
Hanwha Ocean, the South Korean shipbuilding company formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, is said to be considering a move into the offshore platforms and drilling sector while continuing to increase its LNG carrier newbuild backlog.
Korean regulatory information shows that Hanwha Ocean has registered two new trademarks, suggesting expansion into the maritime energy drilling sector as the nation’s companies seek more profitability.
The registrations concern “Hanwha Drilling” and “Hanwha shipping”, though the Group has yet to disclose its intentions.
Hanwha Ocean, formerly DSME, was acquired by the Korean conglomerate, the Hanwha Group, in 2022 and was rebranded as Hanwha Ocean in May 2023.
Two Japanese companies have just filed an order for an LNG carrier to be built at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje Shipyard in South Korea.
Tokyo Gas, the utility company and LNG importer, said its Tokyo LNG Tanker Company concluded a long-term charter contract with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) for this newbuild vessel ordered by MOL.
MOL LNG fleet
MOL has a growing energy shipping business with a fleet including over 150 tankers for oil and other products and about 90 LNG carriers.
Tokyo Gas said that the charter agreement meant that the company had 11 LNG carriers fixed under a long-term charter.
The utility said that the MOL-owned newbuild would have 174,000 cubic metres capacity and be delivered in 2026.
The carrier will have a service speed of 1.5 knots and would be 295 metres in length and a beam of 46.4M.
“The Hanwha Ocean-built vessel will be equipped with the state-of-the-art MAN Energy Solutions engine (ME-GA) with improved fuel consumption efficiency and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions compared to conventional LNG carriers,” said the utility.
“From 2026, the vessel will be utilised for TG Group’s LNG procurement and LNG trading,” it added.
“With this charter contract, the TG Group will continue to promote stable energy procurement while giving further consideration to the environment amid the changing surroundings of the global LNG market,” it added.
LNG tanks study
Sept 18 (LNGJ) - Hanwha Ocean of South Korea, formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and French classification society Bureau Veritas have started a joint development project (JDP) on the structural assessment of independent LNG fuel tanks for ultra-large ships.
“The particularity of these independent tanks is that they are not rigidly connected to the hull structure but are instead held by an important number of dedicated supports, which must be designed with consideration of non-linear structural response during operations, including loss of contact and sliding,” said a statement.
