DNV GL awards Chinese shipbuilder AiP for very large ethane carrier

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 — DNV GL has awarded China’s Jiangnan Shipyard Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a 93,000 cu.m very large ethane carrier. That compares with the 87,000 cu.m capacity of Ethane Crystal, the world’s first VLEC, delivered by South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries in 2016

Johan Petter Tutturen,, Business Director Gas Carriers, DNV GL – Maritime, presented the AiP certificate to Hu Keyi, Chief Engineer of Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd, at the Gastech trade fair in Barcelona, Spain.

Jiangnan Shipyard developed the flexible, efficient and environmentally friendly design in cooperation with GTT, DNV GL and major equipment manufacturers.

The vessel will utilize GTT’s reinforced Mark III cargo containment system with a design temperature of minus 104 degrees centigrade. Four standard cargo holds are capable of carrying ethane, ethylene and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), with a capacity of 93,000 cubic meters in total. Significantly reduced fuel consumption was achieved after several rounds of hull form optimizations. The proposed dual-fuel ethane / fuel oil main propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) meets the IMO NOx Tier III requirements. Further innovative features are a deck tank, shaft generator and an “LNG Ready” concept. Additionally, a USCG-certified ballast water treatment system has been applied to meet the upcoming regulations.

“Jiangnan and DNV GL have successfully collaborated on the joint design development and classification for various ship types, particularly in our leading ship type gas carriers,” said Hu Keyi. “We have completed China’s first Mark III / Mark III Flex model tanks and moved into the membrane-type liquefied gas carrier market. With this latest AiP, we have laid a solid foundation for introducing this ship type to the market and will further enrich our product portfolio in gas carriers and gas-fueled ship types, which will benefit our clients and, at the same time, reduce emissions. Both Jiangnan and DNV GL will gain from the deeper and broader cooperation that this AiP represents.”

“I am very pleased to be able to present this certificate to Jiangnan Shipyard, continuing a very productive and long-standing relationship,” said Johan Petter Tutturen. “As the gas segment continues to gain importance in shipping, new designs that offer greater efficiency and compliance are important in advancing the segment. We are very proud to support Jiangnan Shipyard in realizing this new concept.”