Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) and South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean have concluded a joint development project (JDP) for the development of a 270,000 cubic meter (cbm) LNG carrier, resulting in certification of the hull design.
According to BV, Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary hull design for a 270,000 cbm LNG carrier was developed to anticipate and meet the future demands of the LNG market.
BV further explained that with optimized hull performance and maximized cargo capacity, the new design exceeds the capabilities of the existing 263,000 cbm LNG and FSRU design.
Throughout the project, Hanwha Ocean prepared the development of hull key drawings for the 270,000 cbm LNG carrier design in compliance with BV’s requirements and relevant regulations. Subsequently, Hanwha Ocean and BV agreed to jointly develop this new size vessel to secure structural reliability and obtain approval in principle (AiP).
BV performed 2D local scanting and 3D cargo hold finite element analysis to verify Hanwha Ocean’s hull key drawings, including the assessment of the longitudinal strength of the hull, as well as the yielding and buckling of longitudinal and transverse members. Fatigue analysis was also conducted using a local fine mesh to evaluate the details of hull structures sensitive to fatigue.
Following the completion of the hull design verification, the certification was delivered to Hanwha Ocean on February 28, 2024, BV said.
Drago Pinteric, Country Chief Executive of BV Korea, commented: “The development of a new standard 270K LNG carrier holds immense importance for BV as it aligns with our core responsibilities of ensuring safety, compliance, and quality in maritime operations. This involvement reinforces BV’s commitment to industry leadership, innovation, and the promotion of sustainable and safe shipping practices.
In October 2023, DNV presented Hanwha Ocean with an AiP for a 270,000 cbm LNG carrier, designed with a breadth (molded) of 55 meters and five cargo tanks to minimize sloshing pressure and equipped with an X-DF engine and re-liquefication system.
However, in terms of research and development of larger capacity 270,000 cbm LNG carriers, Chinese shipbuilders have come later.
On September 5, 2023, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), received AiP certificates from ABS, LR, BV and DNV simultaneously for its 271,000 m3 LNG carrier design, making it the world’s largest LNG carrier so far and a big step forward in China’s high-end ship research and development (R&D) and design capability towards the world’s leading goal.
With an overall length of 344 meters, a beam of 53.6 meters and a design draft of 12.0 meters, the 271,000 m3 LNG carrier is slightly smaller than Qatar’s Q-Max (345 meters x 53.8 meters x 12 meters) and can dock at Qatar’s LNG terminals normally. When launching this LNG carrier, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding said that despite its large size, it can call at more than 70 LNG terminals on major trade routes, providing excellent ship-to-shore compatibility.
Not only that, Hudong-Zhonghua’s 271,000 m3 LNG carriers have already received orders.
At the beginning of 2024, QatarEnergy has signed an agreement with Hudong-Zhonghua for the construction of eight 271,000 m3 Q-Max LNG carriers, which are expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2029. This order will mainly serve long-term deals related to QatarEnergy’s North Gas Field Expansion Project, including deals with Chinese customers.
According to industry sources, the cost of the order may exceed $300 million per unit, if this is the benchmark, Hudong-Zhonghua’s order value of eight new shipbuildings will be more than $ 2.4 billion.
Earlier this month, Korean media reported that QatarEnergy plans to place an order for three more Q-Max LNG carriers, one of which is expected to be built by Hudong-Zhonghua, while the other two will be undertaken by South Korean shipyards.
If this additional order materializes, Hudong-Zhonghua will have built nine Q-Max LNG carriers for QatarEnergy, with a total value of more than US$2.7 billion (RMB 19.4 billion).