French engineering firm GTT announced it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese shipbuilding group China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).
The agreement provides for cooperation between GTT and 12 subsidiaries of the CSSC conglomerate, notably in ship design and construction, cryogenic containment technologies for liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping, LNG as fuel and smart shipping solutions.
As part of this agreement, GTT and CSSC aim to develop and market competitive LNG tank solutions with GTT technologies, for all types of vessels, including LNG-propelled container ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers and pure car and truck carriers (PCTC). Cooperation between the two groups is also aimed at the optimization of the engineering of LNG carriers, particularly on capacities ranging from 175,000 m³ to 270,000 m³, but also of the latest generation very large ethane carriers (VLEC) and offshore platforms, including floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facilities
and floating storage regasification units (FSRU).
Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, said, “This cooperation agreement with CSSC marks an important step in our development strategy in China. Together, we will explore opportunities for innovation and strengthen our position in a constantly evolving maritime sector.”
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co., Jiangnan Shipyard Co., Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. are among the subsidiaries of the CSSC group authorized to construct GTT technologies under Technical Assistance and License Agreements (TALA).