LNG growth in China drives very large LNGC design

The project brings together Lloyd’s Register (LR), COSCO Shipping LNG Investment (Shanghai) Co, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co, Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co (JN), Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC), Shanghai Ship and Shipping Research Institute and China Classification Society (CCS).
The seven parties will collaborate to define the ship’s technical specifications and the general arrangement of the main systems, to factor in route and capacity requirements. LR and CCS will provide technical support and consultancy services to ensure the design meets all international regulations, industry-wide conventions and standards, and that it complies with each society’s classification rules. LR and CCS will also offer technical support for ship-shore matching, focusing particularly at upstream and downstream loading and unloading at terminals.
Once the LNG carrier has been designed, LR and CCS will grant the design approval in principle (AiP), which will further enhance the project partners’ competitiveness in the large LNG carrier market. The parties will conduct hydrodynamic assessments on the design to optimise its performance and plan to continually improve the design.
COSCO Shipping LNG Investment safety committee vice-director Zhu Cangman said, “All of the partners involved in this project hope to achieve complementary advantages through close co-operation, which will further enhance the competitiveness in the large LNG carrier market within China and local areas”.
MARIC assistant professor Zhu Jianzhang, said, “As global demand for LNG trade continues to grow, the shipping industry will require more LNG carriers, specifically for newbuilding orders. As China’s demand for LNG continues to increase, more Chinese shipowners will need LNG carriers and this joint industry project will provide our customers with a suitable and competitive design to support their business requirements”.
Jiangnan Shipyard chief of global technology Hu Keyi said, “The membrane type LNG carrier is Jiangnan’s strategic and long-term product and expanding our LNG series will allow Jiangnan to support the rapid growth in Chinese LNG demand”. Added Mr Keyi, “Jiangnan has successfully co-operated with LR and MARIC on an AiP for a standard-size membrane type LNG carrier ‘LNG Jumbo’, and a joint development project for applying LNG fuel tanks on larger container ships. These working arrangements and experience can be replicated on this new project".
LR’s senior-vice president Greater China, Wei Ying said, “LR is the clear leader for gas ship construction in China, with 48% of capacity ordered to date being classed by us”. According to Ms Ying, LR has worked with COSCO Shipping LNG Investment on 10 174,000 m³ LNG carriers, 10 very large gas carriers and two GTT Mark III membrane containment system LNG carriers with Jiangnan Shipyard.