GTT, Alwena Shipping and CHI Zhoushan received Approval in Principle from Bureau Veritas for a new concept, combining LNG retrofit and jumboization, applied to large container ships.
GTT carried out the LNG Mark III membrane tank design while its integration into the ship was designed and validated by Alwena Shipping. CHI Zhoushan shipyard validated the operational aspects of the project, including the work sequence, planning and workforce resources.
The increase in the length of the ship (or jumboization), combined with the conversion of the propulsion and electrical generation systems to LNG enable a reduction in the operating costs of the ship, which limits the financial impact of the immobilization period required for the retrofit operation.
LNG propulsion offers ship-owners a solution to comply with the environmental regulations being adopted by the 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 (port calls included).
The work carried out within the Joint Development Program (JDP) between GTT, Alwena Shipping and CHI Zhoushan supports the technical, operational and commercial design of the conversion and jumboization operation, while also proposing a competitive industrial plan.
Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, said that after the successful LNG exoskeleton retrofit of the Brussel Express, GTT proposes a model enabling to finance the conversion operation by a vessel cargo capacity increase while Ludovic Gérard, President of Alwena Shipping, commented that this project is remarkable in many ways as it enables switching to a transition fuel offering reductions in CO2, particulate and NOx emissions.
Furthermore, Gong Weibing, Vice General Manager of CHI Zhoushan, said:
This project is a competitive achievement as well as an important step forward on the journey towards carbon neutrality. The retrofit & jumboization will enable a safer, greener, more efficient, and more sustainable shipping business.
Retrofit is part of the options to be considered by ship-owners and operators. It can be a cost-effective option, added Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.
