South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has received Approval in Principle (AIP) from Lloyd’s Register for the world’s first gas turbine-powered 174,000 m3 LNG carrier, developed jointly with GE Aviation and Marine (GE).
The IMO Tier III-compliant 174,000 m3 LNG carrier is equipped with GE’s gas turbine-based Combined Gas turbine Electric and Steam system (COGES 2.0).
The vessel is expected to save shipowners or operators an estimated USD 17.83 million on the assumption that the LNG carrier operates for 20 years with an annual operating cost of USD 720,000, since it does not need additional equipment to handle exhaust emissions.
The gas turbine-powered engine is 60 percent lighter than conventional engines and will lower operating and maintenance costs accordingly, HHI says.
Durability and low vibration/noise of the engine are also test-proven over 70 million hours of application on offshore platforms, onshore power plants, and high-speed ferryboats.
”The LNG carrier we introduce today is a culmination of the seamless teamwork of GE and HHI. We will continue to enhance our competitiveness through ongoing technological cooperation including the application of the gas turbine engine to large containerships,” said Shin Hyun-soo, CTO of HHI.