KHI gets DNV GL AiP for non-spherical LNG tank

New tank has been developed for use in 180,000 cu.m LNG carriers designed to pass through the expanded Panama Canal

JUNE 7, 2017 — DNV GL has awarded Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd (KHI) an Approval in Principle (AiP) for its newly developed non-spherical (Moss) tank. The new tank is a IMO Independent Type B LNG tank that has been developed for use in 180,000 cu.m LNG carriers designed to pass through the expanded Panama Canal.

KHI says that the new tank has the same reliability as a spherical (Moss) tank, but has an increased cargo capacity of 15 per cent. It can also be used with the “Kawasaki Panel System,” an advanced heat insulation system developed by KHI.

An Approval in Principle is an independent assessment of a concept within an agreed framework, confirming that the design is feasible and no significant obstacles exist to prevent the concept from being realized. The AiP is typically carried out at an early stage of a project to confirm its feasibility for the project team itself, company management, external investors or regulators.

DNV GL carried out comprehensive sloshing and buckling analyses together with KHI, which demonstrated that the new tank provided an equivalent level of safety performance to the well-known spherical (Moss) tank with no filling restrictions.

“It is always a great pleasure to work with KHI, to continue what has been such a long and enjoyable cooperation,” said Johan Petter Tutturen, Business Director for Gas Carriers at DNV GL – Maritime. “We worked with KHI on the delivery of the first Japanese built LNG carrier – Golar Spirit – in 1981 and that cooperation continues to this day, as she remains in DNV GL class after her successful conversion to a FSRU, a world’s first.”