COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (CHI Zhoushan) shipyard, together with the technological expert in membrane containment systems GTT and the naval consultancy and engineering firm Alwena Shipping, have received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from the classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) for a new retrofit concept, combining LNG fuel conversion and increase of length (jumboization) for very large container ships.
The jumboization and the conversion of the propulsion and electrical generation systems to LNG are anticipated to enable a reduction in the operating costs of the vessel, which limits the financial impact of the immobilisation period required for the retrofit operation.
"This project is remarkable in many ways: while switching to a transition fuel offering reductions in CO2, particulate and NOx emissions, this concept approved by Bureau Veritas also extends the life of the vessels converted and increases container capacity thus contributing to reducing the tension on the container transport markets," commented Ludovic Gérard, president of Alwena Shipping.
GTT carried out the LNG Mark III membrane tank design while its integration into the ship was designed and validated by Alwena Shipping, while the CHI Zhoushan shipyard validated the operational aspects of the project, including the work sequence, planning and workforce resources, according to a statement.
LNG propulsion offers ship-owners a solution to comply with the environmental regulations being adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by 2045. In comparison with a conventional fuel-powered container ship, the converted vessel reduces CO2 emissions by around 23% over an 83-day Europe-Asia return trip.
Carried out within the Joint Development Program (JDP) between GTT, Alwena Shipping and CHI Zhoushan, the work supports the technical, operational and commercial design of the conversion and jumboization operation, and its result shows the way to contribute to decarbonising part of the container ship fleet currently in operation.
"This project is a competitive achievement as well as an important step forward on the journey towards carbon neutrality. The retrofit and jumboization will enable a safer, greener, more efficient, and more sustainable shipping business," said Gong Weibing, vice general manager of CHI Zhoushan.
Bureau Veritas confirmed the conception of the retrofit, as well as the layout of the LNG fuel containment system and gas fuel supply system supported by an auxiliary safety system in accordance with the International Code of safety for ships using gases or other Low flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) and BV Rule NR 529.
After reviewing the modifications to the vessel and the description of the associated operations, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore gave its AiP on the concept on 11 January 2022.
