LR has signed an agreement with COSCO Shipping LNG Investment (Shanghai) Co., COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd, Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd. (JN), Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC), Shanghai Ship and Shipping Research Institute (SSSRI) and China Classification Society (CCS) to design and develop the first 220k LNG carrier with a GTT Mark III membrane containment system, the company said in its release.
The seven parties will use their expertise, experience and research capabilities to define the ship’s technical specifications and 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 that 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 terminals.
Once the LNG carrier has been designed, LR and CCS will look to grant the design approval in principle, 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.