Exmar joins consortium developing ballast-free LNG carrier

Belgium-based shipping company Exmar has joined a consortium developing a new design for liquefied natural gas carriers, according to French LNG containment giant GTT.

GTT, Lloyd’s Register (LR) and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC) on Tuesday launched the second phase of their “30,000m³ B-FREE LNG carrier” joint development project also welcoming Exmar as a new partner to the project, GTT said in a statement.

The first phase of the project performed by the trio developed a new design of ballast-free medium-sized LNG carrier, fully compliant with the new IMO “Ballast Water Management Convention”, and using membrane containment systems.

“It showed the potential for competitive advantages for the ship-owners, combining environmentally-friendly features with increased efficiency. It also indicated potentially lower construction and operational costs,” the statement said.

The design received an approval in principle from Lloyd’s Register in December 2017.

Phase II of the project aims to develop the design further and to validate the initial results achieved during the first phase by applying more detailed analysis and verification, including model testing.