Japanese classification society ClassNK released its Guideline for Survey and Facilities/Equipment of LNG Bunkering Ships, which outline the additional safety requirements of liquefied gas carriers that supply LNG fuel at sea.
The Guideline compiles the requirements for additional equipment for the safe transfer of LNG, a cryogenic substance, between ships, and surveys. As such, it stipulates the layout and system design of LNG bunkering ships, fuel transfer systems, and operation, as well as class notations, according to the equipment to be installed.
See also: LNG Bunkering: Key challenges & best practices
This comes as the number of LNG-fueled ships has been increasing in recent years to address shipping emissions, but the facilities that supply LNG as fuel from quay facilities to general ships are still limited.
Therefore, there are currently no established international conventions for the facilities/equipment of ships that transfer LNG to other ships at sea, and additional safety equipment has been considered individually.
