Classification society DNV GL – Maritime has awarded South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) with an Approval in Principle (AIP) for the design of a very large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, the company said in its release. Johan Petter Tutturen, DNV GL Business Director Gas Carriers, presented the AIP certificate for the 91,000 cubic meter (cbm) dual fuel vessel design to Hyung Kwan Kim, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer in HHI, at the Gastech trade fair in Houston.
Today, with shipping companies facing ever stricter emission rules, LNG is the alternative fuel of choice for more than 350 vessels worldwide, while LPG as a ship fuel has been adopted by only a limited number of vessels yet. However, LPG could be a compelling option as its energy and capital costs are relatively low, while also serving as a possible precursor to run on zero-carbon ammonia.
Furthermore, an LPG dual fuel vessel design with an engine mounted shaft generator (EMG) can minimize cargo loss and decrease operational costs as well as CO2 emissions by reducing running hours of diesel generator engines burning fuel oil.