ABS to class world’s first CNG carrier

JULY 29, 2014 — ABS has been chosen to class the world’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) carrier.

Designed by China’s CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute, the ship has been ordered by Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s state-owned power company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PT PLN).

“This prestigious contract is a testament to our commitment to high quality service, technical innovation and remaining a pioneer in the safe transport and handling of gas,” says ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “As society’s demands continue to drive the search for cleaner forms of energy, new methods of marine transport, propulsion and processing for gas are being required.”

PT PLN’s inaugural CNG ship, which will be dual-classed with the Indonesian class society Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia, will be 110 meters in length and offer sailing speeds of 14 knots. It is designed to offer a nominal CNG capacity of 2,200 cu.m and will fly the Indonesian flag.

The ship is expected to transport natural gas from Indonesian fields in East Java to communities on the island of Lombok, benefiting relatively remote communities that are not economically feasible to supply by pipeline.

PT PLN has plans to switch from diesel fueled power generation to less expensive, less polluting CNG-fueled generation on many Indonesian islands.

The contract award comes just months after ABS unveiled its new Global Gas Solutions team, a multi-disciplinary group of technical specialists formed to respond to the rapidly escalating number of gas-related projects, including LNG and LPG transportation, the use of LNG and LPG as fuel and a growing number of FLNG projects.