At Gastech 2023, ABS issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Hudong-Zhonghua (HZ) Shipyard for its new, state-of-the-art liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier design, currently the world’s largest with 271,000 cubic meters of cargo tank capacity, according to the company's release.
The design features flexible dual-fuel propulsion and an air lubrication system for more sustainable operations. The synergy of a more efficient hull and the use of low-carbon fuel in the fuel-efficient engine is expected to translate to the lowering of the overall carbon footprint of the vessel.
The design is also equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) that should reduce its nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which will help the vessel comply with IMO Tier III controls even when in diesel mode.
This newly designed LNG tank is equipped with an enhanced cargo containment system together with a real-time sloshing monitoring system, and the vessel is equipped with a hull stress monitoring and an anti-collision system, features not normally found on LNG carriers. All of these measures are designed to improve the safety and reliability of the vessel.
With the AIP secured, the 344-meter vessel design now enters additional design and analysis work before being presented to potential owners.