GTT has received, at the end of June, an order from its partner, the Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for the fuel tank design of five very large LNG-fuelled container vessels, able to carry 15,000 containers each, on behalf of the Asian ship-owner Seaspan Corporation, the world’s largest independent owner and operator of container ships, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp and the Israeli charterer ZIM, according to the company's release.
The fuel tank of each vessel will offer a capacity of 12,000 m3 and will be fitted with the Mark III membrane containment system. These tanks will include unique features to facilitate a potential conversion of these vessels to ammonia.
The Mark III membrane technology tank has been adapted for compatibility with ammonia, offering both Seaspan and ZIM, greater operational flexibility in case of changes in environmental regulations.
In addition to the engineering services and on-site technical assistance, GTT will assist Seaspan through every step of their first LNG-fuelled project: commissioning of the LNG tank, first LNG bunkering operations, as well as further specific LNG operations and maintenance of the vessels. Moreover, GTT will provide LNG training for the crews, supported by its proprietary G-Sim® training simulator, which replicates the future LNG operations of the vessels. Seaspan will also benefit for the availability of the HEARS® emergency response service with 24/7 technical assistance.
The vessels will also be fitted with GTT digital platform for monitoring and optimising their operational performance and their environmental footprint.
Vessels deliveries are scheduled to occur between the third quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024.