HHI rendering of SCF Aframax LNG-fueled tanker
Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding affiliate, recently won an order to build four 114,000 DWT Ice-Class IA Liquefied Natural Gas-fuelled aframax tankers from Sovcomflot, Russia’s state-owned shipping company. By running on LNG, the Ice-Class IA tankers can emit 90% less SOx, 80% less NOx, 15% less CO2 along with 50% reduced engine noise.
The world’s first LNG-fueled aframax tankers, measuring 250 meters in length, 44 meters in width and 21 meters in height, are scheduled to be delivered from the third quarter of 2018.
According to LNG World Shipping, which has been conducting regular surveys to track growth of vessel numbers, the Sovcomflot order has lifted the in-service and on-order fleet of LNG-powered seagoing ships to the 200 mark.
“The complement of LNG-fuelled vessels that are not LNG carriers comprises 103 in-service ships and 97 on order. The total represents a year-on-year jump of 23 per cent,” the online magazine reports. Twelve months ago there were 74 such vessels in service and 88 on order.
Of the 200, 36% are passenger ships.
Another observation reported by LNG World Shipping is that the growth is LNG vessel numbers is accompanied by a growth in the sizes of ships on order, reflecting both a growing confidence in the technology and increased investment in response to the IMO-imposed 0.5 per cent global sulphur cap set for 2020.
(Sources: HSHI, LNG World Shipping)
