The business of shipping gas is ushering in a once-in-a-generation transformation with new energy tradelanes emerging requiring new ship types.
Delegates attending this year's annual Gastech in Houston have been able to get a glimpse of what gas shipping's future might look like with shipyards hosting glossy mega stands and announcing a host of design approvals.
DNV awarded an approval in principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its electric propulsion liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) carrier design concept that could enable 80,000 cu m of LH₂ storage and transport.
This milestone forms part of a broader collaboration involving industry leaders, HD KSOE, Woodside Energy (Woodside), Hyundai Glovis, and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), aimed at developing an integrated maritime transportation value chain for large scale liquid hydrogen.
The vessel is equipped with HD Hyundai's new large liquid hydrogen tanks featuring advanced vacuum insulation and an electric propulsion system with hydrogen dual fuel HiMSEN engines, allowing flexible fuel use between diesel and hydrogen.
CB&I, a subsidiary of McDermott, and Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean also received an AiP this week for the design of a cargo containment system and an 80,000 cu m LH carrier from DNV.
DNV also granted a general approval for ship application (GASA) to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for its new LNG carrier design which features three instead of four cargo tanks. This is intended to maximise cargo capacity and reduce the number of pump towers and associated cryogenic equipment, such as liquid and gas domes, valves, and piping.
Also at the Houston show, HD Hyundai Marine Solution, HD Hyundai Engineering & Technology, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Hyundai Heavy Industries Power Systems have successfully obtained an AiP from DNV for their design of an onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) system for retrofits. The retrofit design is applicable to a wide range of vessels/
Japanese shipping giants Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Nippon Yusen Kaisha along with compatriot builders Nihon Shipyard and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding jointly acquired AiP from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for two types of low-pressure type liquefied CO2(LCO2) carriers under their joint development. The designs are for 50,000 and 23,000 cu m sized ships.
The Koreans are also advancing their own LCO2 carrier designs with ABS this week granting an AiP to Hyundai Mipo for a 35,000 cu m LCO2 carrier using new cargo tank materials.
Gastech closes tomorrow. The roving show is scheduled to head to Mumbai for the 2025 edition next September.