LNG-fueled boxship study revealed

GTT, the maker of LNG containment systems, shipping company CMA CGM and the classification society DNV GL released a technical and feasibility study for a new box ship named PERFECt.

The containership concept is LNG-fuelled, powered by a combined gas and steam turbine, and is electrically driven, DNV GL revealed on Wednesday.

“The shipping community has realized that LNG enables the implementation of new propulsion concepts such as demonstrated by the PERFECt design that can increase a vessel’s efficiency and reduce fuel consumption,” says Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV GL.

Gerd Würsig, Business Director for LNG-fuelled ships at DNV GL – Maritime said the aim of the study was to see the possible benefits of combined gas and steam turbine power generation in a large containership.

According to the study design, the two 10,960 m³ LNG fuel tanks are located below the deck house, giving the vessel enough fuel capacity for an Asia/Europe round trip.

With the gas and steam turbines integrated at deck level within the same deck house as the tanks,  the space normally occupied by the conventional engine room can be used to” increase cargo capacity significantly“.

The dissociation of electric power generation from electric propulsion allows the electric power plant to be moved away from the main propulsion system. This way there is no need for an engine room, the study says.