GTT has secured Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register for new hull elongation criteria covering LNG carriers fitted with its NO96 cargo containment system, according to Lloyd’s Register.
The clearance confirms that the revised limits for hull deformation beneath the NO96 membrane and insulation system meet LR classification requirements and relevant international regulations. LR assessed operational, thermal and hull-induced loads to verify the containment system’s structural integrity. Its review also included structural and hydrodynamic analysis using a representative LNG carrier design, testing compatibility across NO96 variants, load cases and hull geometries.
The revised criteria are intended to give ship designers greater freedom to optimise hull structures while retaining existing stress limits, fatigue margins and membrane performance. LR said the changes could also help reduce lightship weight without weakening safety or regulatory compliance. LR chief growth officer Andy McKeran presented the AiP to GTT Group chairman Philippe Berterottière at LR’s 4th Global LNG Forum.
Constantinos Chaelis, LR global gas segment director, said: “This approval is about giving confidence at an early stage. Our review confirmed that GTT’s updated NO96 elongation criteria remain within established safety margins while allowing designers greater flexibility. “This kind of technical validation is essential as vessel designs become more optimised and structurally demanding.”
GTT chief executive François Michel said: “Lloyd’s Register’s Approval in Principle confirms the technical robustness of the latest NO96 developments. These enhanced design criteria provide greater flexibility for ship designers while preserving the highest standards of safety and membrane integrity.”
NO96 is used across the LNG carrier fleet and is also relevant to complex, high-specification gas carriers and other vessel designs requiring structural assurance.
Lloyd’s Register is a UK-based maritime classification and technical assurance organisation.
GTT, formally Gaztransport & Technigaz, is a French engineering and technology group that develops membrane containment systems for the transport and storage of liquefied gases.