LNG

Novatek has reportedly signed an agreement with Norwegian logistics company Tschudi to undertake LNGC ship-to-ship transfers at Kirkenes.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said this week that it will publish a new edition of the ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Liquefied Gas) this December.

At Gastech, several Approval in Principals (AiP) were announced for various projects.

Kongsberg Digital (KDI) is to deliver an LNG simulator package to GasLog’s Piraeus training centre.

The package is based on an integrated, turnkey training solution featuring a K-Sim Navigation DNV Class A ship’s bridge simulator and a K-Sim Engine Desktop simulator, including the Steam

Plant Dual Fuel LNG Carrier and the Diesel Electric Duel Fuel DE21 LNG models.

The engine room models will be interfaced to a K-Sim Cargo LNG Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier-M cargo handling simulator.

The simulators will be installed in GasLog’s Technical Management HQ in Piraeus, Greece, where a whole floor is dedicated to simulator training.

GasLog’s investment in the K-Sim package emphasises the central importance of simulator training within the Greek LNG arena, KDI said.

In addition to GasLog, KDI has provided K-Sim training solutions for Minerva Marine, Maran Gas Maritime, TMS Cardiff Gas and Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), meaning that it services more than half of the nine companies, which constitute the current Greek LNGC fleet.

“Greece is poised to become the largest and most significant shipping nation in the global LNG sector,” said Tone-Merete Hansen, KDI’s Senior Vice President in Maritime Simulation, “And KDI is proud to be such an integral associate in support of this drive. Promoting and perpetrating the smart transportation and usage of a clean, economically efficient fuel ties in very closely with our corporate desire to enable safer, greener and more streamlined working practices.”

“Straight from the outset, KDI’s integrated simulator solution will allow our trainee crews to reinforce and build upon our core values of teamwork, quality of service, integrity and customer focus,” Mrs Archontia Leni, GasLog’s Competency Assurance Manager, added. “Above all, as our company credo indicates, safety means the world to us – and KDI’s innovative simulator training package will help us to establish and support a culture of crew protection and environmental awareness that resonates throughout our entire organisation.”

GasLog currently operates 27 LNGCs through a subsidiary, GasLog LNG Services and also has seven ships on order.

At the end of July, TGE Marine Gas Engineering signed a contract to design and supply the cargo handling system and tank material package to be installed on a small-scale FSRU to be built by Jiangnan.

This month sees the launch of SHIPMOOR, a new mooring analysis tool designed to reduce the risk of disconnections between LNG terminals and LNGCs.

GTT has signed a technical assistance and license agreement (TALA) with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD).

This agreement targets the outfitting of gas carriers, in particular small and mid-scale (up to 50,000 cu m) and LNG fuel tanks for commercial vessels.

GTT said that it represented a new step forward in the development of its technologies in the small-capacity market. It will also allow both partners to further expand their offer to shipowners, in particular in the LNG as fuel segment.

HMD obtained a license after having completed a qualification process that began in April, 2018, including the construction of a Mark III Flex mockup and an audit led by GTT.

The shipyard became the third yard in the Hyundai group to be licensed by GTT. The other two - Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries - have been constructing LNGCs and FSRUs with GTT membrane technologies for a number of years. 

Philippe Berterottière, GTT Chairman and CEO, said: "We are pleased to expand our long-time partnership with Hyundai, group with whom the signature of our first TALA goes back to 27 years. We have the pleasure to now count HMD, who has just delivered its 1,000th ship, among our new partners."

In addition, GTT has signed another TALA with Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) enabling Keppel O&M to market LNG solutions using GTT's membrane containment systems. 

The Group’s network of global yards will be licensed as an outfitter offering GTT's LNG systems for vessels’ equipment and maintenance, LNG bunker vessels, LNG-fuelled vessels, as well FSRUs, with a particular focus on vessels with capacities between 30,000 and 80,000 cu m.

Keppel O&M's expertise and experience in GTT's systems started in 2004 when Keppel Shipyard became an approved repair yard for ships equipped with GTT membrane systems and was extended in 2014 when Keppel Singmarine, signed a license agreement for newbuilds. 

GTT has also received another order from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), to design the tanks of two 174,000 cu m LNGCs, on behalf of a European shipowner. 

The LNG tanks of both vessels will be fitted with the Mark III Flex+ membrane containment system, which offers a guaranteed boil-off rate of 0.07% of tank volume per day. 

The delivery of the vessels is planned during the second semester of 2020.

Chart Energy & Chemicals, a subsidiary

Höegh LNG Partners has announced the following changes to the group executive team of Höegh LNG, the management services company that provides services to Höegh LNG Holdings and its subsidiaries.

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) held a naming ceremony on 11th September for an Arc7, which was jointly ordered by MOL and China COSCO Shipping Corp, at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

The newbuilding was named ‘Vladimir Vize’ by Irina Ershova of Novatek, the major shareholder in the Yamal LNG project.

‘Vladimir Vize’ is due to go into service for the Yamal LNG project following her delivery at the end of this month..

Construction of the last of the three newbuilding Arc7s has been progressing as planned at DSME. The vessels are expected to be delivered to the Yamal LNG Project in the next year.

Furthermore, the building of the four conventional LNGCs earmarked for the Yamal LNG project is proceeding with project partner, China COSCO Shipping, using both internal and external supervisors.

Construction of the four vessels is expected to be completed 2019 – 2020.

Meanwhile, Teekay delivered its second Arc7 ‘Rudolph Samoylovich’, to the Yamal LNG project charterer on 6th September, 2018, in Sabetta.

At the request of the charterer, the 172,000 cu m vessel was handed over nearly three months earlier than anticipated, Teekay said.

The Arc7 transited the Northern Sea Route after its delivery from DSME at the end of August.

‘Rudolph Samoylovich’ has joined her sister ‘Eduard Toll’ as the second of six Arc7 LNGCs that Teekay will provide for the Yamal LNG project by 2020.

Recent new orders reported included a small-scale 28,000 cu m LNGC for Gasfin at Jiangnan for 2019 delivery and four 7,500 cu m bunker tankers for Stolt-Nielsen at Keppel Nantong.

The price of the bunker tankers was said to be $34 mill each and they are set for delivery next year.