GTT to provide containment for FSRU

Mark III stainless steel corrugated membrane

FEBRUARY 20, 2017—Following an order from Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Paris-based engineering firm GTT will equip a new floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with its Mark III cryogenic membrane containment system. The order is for one firm vessel, with the possibility for a second vessel.

The 170,000 m³ FSRU will be built at Hyundai’s shipyard, in Ulsan, South Korea, for a European shipowner. The FSRU will also be equipped with a dual fuel diesel engine much like a standard LNG Carrier (LNGC), HHI will deliver the FSRU in March 2019.

“GTT notes that the performance of its technologies for the FSRU market are renowned and appreciated by the key players of the offshore industry,” says GTT Chairman and CEO Philippe Berterottière. “HHI is a long term partner, we are both involved to make the maritime industry progress by providing safe and flexible solutions.”

In addition, GTT also points out that there is growing trend towards building floating units able to change functionality, thereby achieving significant savings. Thus, floating terminals can operate as mobile vessels such as LNGC and can be contracted for short periods. There are currently 16 FSRUs in service that are able to operate as both transportation and regasification vessels.

GTT’s Mark III membrane system is a cryogenic liner directly supported by the ship’s inner hull. This liner is composed of a primary metallic membrane positioned on top of a prefabricated insulation panel including a complete secondary membrane.

The primary membrane is made of corrugated stainless steel 304 L, 1.2mm thick. It contains the LNG cargo and is directly supported by and fixed to the insulation system. Standard size of the corrugated sheets is 3m x 1m.

This membrane is folded to create corrugations. The knot is the intersection of the corrugations (small and large corrugations).

The secondary membrane is made of Triplex, a composite laminated material: a thin sheet of aluminum between two layers of glass cloth and resin. It is positioned inside the prefabricated insulation panels between the two insulation layers.

The insulation consists of a load-bearing system made of prefabricated panels in reinforced polyurethane foam including both primary and secondary insulation layers and the secondary membrane. The standard size of the panels is 3m x 1m. The total thickness of the insulation is 270mm. The panels are bonded to the inner hull by means of resin ropes that serve a double purpose: anchoring the insulation and spreading evenly the loads.