UK-headquartered energy giant Shell, classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR), and France’s Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) have joined forces to explore a new class of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, pairing heavy-duty cargo capacity with hybrid-electric propulsion, tackling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and total cost of ownership across the maritime supply chain.
Lloyd’s Register, Shell, and GTT have launched a joint development project (JDP) to develop a conceptual 200,000 cbm LNG carrier, combining hybrid-electric propulsion with GTT NEXT1 cargo containment technology to assess ways in which future LNG carrier designs could transport more cargo, operate more efficiently, and provide greater flexibility as industry requirements continue to evolve.
Constantinos Chaelis, Global Gas Segment Director at Lloyd’s Register, commented: “The industry is under increasing pressure to move more energy with lower emissions and greater operational flexibility.
“Larger vessel concepts are being assessed for their potential, and this project will explore how hybrid-electric propulsion and cargo containment technology can support their technical and operational performance from a TCO perspective.”
The trio will work on the development and safety verification of the vessel’s hybrid-electric propulsion system, focusing on system architecture, redundancy philosophy and battery integration, while also exploring the commercial evaluation from a total cost of ownership (TCO) model.
Simultaneously, the integration of GTT NEXT1 cargo containment technology will be contemplated as part of the overall vessel concept. The project will also establish technical requirements and guidance for hybrid-electric propulsion in LNG carrier applications, helping to support further technical understanding of the technology.
Chaelis added: “By bringing together expertise from across the LNG value chain, we're helping to develop technical foundations that could support further assessment of future LNG carrier concepts.”
Lloyd’s Register, which is busy with multiple LNG-related projects, recently granted an approval in principle (AiP) to GasEntec for a modular floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) concept capable of delivering 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day.