UASC’s containership first vessel with Gas Ready notation

Barzan, the first in a series of six 18,800 TEU container vessels ordered by UASC, was recently named at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Mokpo, South Korea.

The vessel is the first to receive classification society DNV GL’s new Gas Ready notation. Her five sister ships, as well as eleven 15,000 TEU vessels of UASC’s newest eco-ship generation, will be given the GAS READY notation as well, DNV GL said in a statement.

Barzan, the largest vessel in UASC’s fleet to date, and all of the other 16 vessels in the current new building program, have been designed and constructed with the vision of undertaking a quick and cost efficient retrofit to LNG at a later stage. The DNV GL class notation Gas Ready with nominators (D,S,MEc,AEi) demonstrates that the vessel is in compliance with the gas fuelled notation rules, that structural reinforcements to support fuel containment system (LNG tank) have been verified (S), that the main engines installed can be converted to dual fuel (MEc ) and that the auxiliary engines installed can be operated on gas (AEi).

“Gas will almost certainly continue to grow in importance as a fuel for shipping over the coming few years,” said Gerd Würsig, Business Director LNG fuelled ships at DNV GL – Maritime.

Next to the LNG readiness, Barzan and her sister vessels incorporate several innovative energy saving methods, including a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS). This converts thermal energy from the exhaust gas from the main engines into electrical power to maximize the efficiency of the system.

Preliminary calculations indicate that Barzan will have an EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) value that is close to 50 percent less than the 2025 limit set by IMO, with a CO2 output per TEU that is more than 60 per cent lower than a 13,500 TEU vessel delivered just three years ago. The 18,800 TEU containership has been constructed to DNV GL class rules with the notations: 1A1 Container Carrier DG-P Shore Power E0 NAUT-OC HMON (A1,C1,G4) CLEAN BWM-T BIS TMON NAUTICUS (Newbuilding) GAS READY (D, S, MEc, AEi).