LNG

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French maritime LNG storage technology company, has received an order from its partner, the South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), for the storage tank design for a floating unit ordered by Canada’s Cedar LNG project in British Columbia.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French maritime LNG storage technology company, has received another order from the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in the eastern province of Jiangsu for the tank design of a new LNG carrier as its orders stack up.

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.

European Union LNG market report by EU agency for energy regulators says LNG imports may be near peak

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Ascenz Marorka, the smart-shipping arm of French LNG maritime storage technology company GTT, has been granted an approval for cybersecurity for its digital solutions by France’s classification society Bureau Veritas.

“The technological evolution in the maritime sector has brought to the forefront significant risks associated with cyber-attacks, affecting the safety of individuals, the marine environment or everyone’s personal data,” said Ascenz Marorka.

“Faced with this reality, maritime companies need to adopt proactive protection measures and robust defence strategies to ensure the continuity and the safety of their operations,” stated the firm.

Resilience

GTT group said that the approval for cyber-security granted by Bureau Veritas highlighted the ability of the Ascenz Marorka solutions to meet the cyber-security challenges of the maritime sector with “resilience and reliability” after testing.

GTT said the smart-shipping unit benefited from the robust protection for its computer systems, encrypting the data used and was able to isolate the networks for the approved functionalities.

The Paris-based firm said that the approval demonstrated Ascenz Marorka’s commitment to helping build a sustainable future, while ensuring maximum cyber protection for its customers.

“The safety of our customers’ data is at the heart of our strategy. We are very proud of this approval, which reflects our commitment to protecting our customers’ operations,” said Anouar Kiassi, Managing Director of Ascenz Marorka.

“Having a trusted third party like Bureau Veritas certify our solution is the best proof we can offer our customers to show them how seriously we monitor and mitigate evolving cyber-risks,” declared Kiassi.

Bureau Veritas

Paul Delouche, the Advanced Services Director of Bureau Veritas, said that as a class society, Bureau Veritas was very pleased to find that key players in the maritime industry, such as Ascenz Marorka, were seeking certification to demonstrate their level of cybersecurity maturity.

The certification covers the Ascenz Marorka applications’ related requirements included in “NR467 Bureau Veritas Rules for the Classification of Steel Ships”, “NR659 Bureau Veritas Rules on Cyber Security or the Classification of marine units” and “IACS UR E27 Rev.1 (Sep 2023) Cyber resilience of on-board systems and equipment”.

Ascenz Marorka noted that with IACS UR E27 entering into force on July 1, 2024, the smart-shipping unit has successfully anticipated what many vendors would need to accomplish in the coming months.

“This certification rewards the exemplary commitment of Ascenz Marorka teams in strengthening their digital solutions and demonstrates Bureau Veritas’ readiness to promote cybersecurity as a catalyst for digitalization,” the company concluded.

Ascenz Marorka, the smart-shipping arm of LNG maritime storage technology company GTT, has signed a contract with Global Ship Lease (GSL), a leading independent owner of container vessels to roll out its shipping systems across the GSL fleet.

French liquefied natural gas maritime storage tanks designer GTT and its smart-shipping brand have signed a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with the France-based containerships operator CMA CGM Group covering 49 LNG-powered vessels.

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, has received another order from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. in Northeast China for the tank designs for three LNG carrier newbuilds.

GTT said the latest order was received from its technology partner Dalian Shipbuilding on behalf of Chinese company China Energy.

The Paris-based company added that the tanks chosen for these three vessels, which will each offer a capacity of 175,000 cubic metres, will be the Mark III Flex membrane containment system.

GTT  said that the delivery of the vessels was scheduled for the first half of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028.

The latest order is the second this month from the Dalian yard after a previous order for two ships from Sea Jade Investment, a joint venture comprising Hong Kong-based shipping company Wah Kwong as well as China Gas and China Ship Leasing.

Capacities

Those two vessels will each have capacity of 175,000 cubic metres and will be fitted with the GTT Mark III Flex membrane containment system.

The delivery of the vessels for the Sea Jade consortium is scheduled between the first and the third quarters of 2027.

GTT has also noted in its most recent newsletter just published that the LNG sector had demonstrated more than 60 years of successful and safe operations. 

The French firm said it had contributed to this success though continuous innovation in new solutions, new design proposals and efficient assistance in the construction of well over 2.500 LNG storage tanks.

Modular tanks

GTT is also advancing marketing propositions for its modular LNG storage tanks that can be delivered by ships or barges, for example, to areas isolated from on the ground engineering expertise.

“Amid rising global energy prices and higher demand, new greenfield onshore projects are running into inflationary headwinds and facing significant challenges to deploy cost-effective LNG storage solutions,” said GTT.

“This is particularly true when accessing remote areas where logistics are complex and skilled manpower is difficult to deploy,” the firm added.

“Moreover, as projects become increasingly modularised, slower erection times inherent to stick-built tanks often drive overall project delivery,” GTT said.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company for shipping and onshore, said it was chosen by two major European LNG ship-owners to equip a total of three vessels with its predictive maintenance solution, the Sloshing Virtual Sensor.

This unique digital technology is dedicated to the assessment of sloshing activity to extend the cargo tank entry period.

GTT explained that the system uses the tank digital twin, designed by GTT, and the vessel’s real-time operational data to monitor the evolution of critical tank integrity parameters.

“Combined with an appropriate risk analysis, ship-owners and charterers are able to optimise the tank maintenance while complying with strict safety standards, improving operational flexibility and making significant cost savings,” said the Paris-based company.

STASCO validation

Earlier this year, GTT received an Approval in Principle (AiP) for this technology from UK classification society Lloyd’s Register following the extensive validation work carried out in close collaboration with Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCO).

“Following the technical approval by the AiP, these contracts represent the commercial validation of the value that our customers see in the Sloshing Virtual Sensor,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT.

“We are convinced that this technology will become an industry standard,” stated the CEO.

GTT also recently announced the creation a new brand from smart-shipping 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 Iceland 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 Icelandic 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 .

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.