Lloyd's Register, a provider of classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine industry, has granted an approval in principle for the design of an LNG-powered coal carrier to three Japanese companies.
Container shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners — Tohoku Electric Power, an electric utility and cargo owner, and Namura Shipbuilding, a vessel construction firm — have completed the Hazard Identification Study and the basic design of the vessel (pictured below).
LNG offers a range of environmental advantages, including a 99% reduction in sulfur oxide (SOx) and fine particulate matter emissions.
It also substantially reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and significantly decreases carbon emissions.
Learn how LNG, dubbed the 'fuel of the future', can work for shippers and ports in the technical paper 'Driving Innovation: LNG Support Services' by Christer Sjodoff, Group Vice President, GAC, Dubai, UAE
In its statement on the project, MOL said: “The vessel design ensures sufficient cargo capacity without making the hull larger by installing the LNG fuel tank at the stern.
“In addition, the study is pursued based on installation of the tank cover with an eye toward preventing an onboard fire from spreading to the LNG fuel tank while streamlining inspection work.”
