LNG Prime reported last week, citing shipbuilding sources, that BW’s recently ordered large LNG carriers are expected to feature three LNG tanks instead of four, marking an industry first.
BW LNG recently placed an order for two LNG carriers at South Korea’s HD Hyundai Samho.
The two new vessels (H8340 and H8341) will each have a capacity of 177,000 cbm, and not 174,000 cbm, and are scheduled for delivery in 2028.
BW said on Monday in an emailed statement that the design, which is an extension of GTT’s proven Mark III cargo containment system, is based on three cargo tanks with a combined capacity of about 177,000 cbm and a low passive boil-off of 0.08 percent/volume per day.
According to BW, the design offers greater cargo capacity (additional 3,000 cbm) without changing principle dimensions from the standard 174,000 cbm design, “thus offering our customers the lowest possible unit freight cost without compromising at all on terminal compatibility.”
“We are carefully evaluating considerations, including structural integrity and trading flexibility. We have not found meaningful limitations, having analyzed the trading pattern of hundreds of cargoes,” BW said.
Combining the tank design with a large reliquefaction system and the newest and most efficient version of the X-DF engine from WinGD, BW said it looks forward to discussing the new and innovative design with clients in the time to come.
Yngvil Åsheim, CEO of BW LNG says, “With ever-increasing demands from the industry and clients for efficiency, flexibility and lowest possible emissions, we have to be at the forefront of technology adaptation.”
“While this design is an evolvement of existing proven design, it offers additional benefits representing the future,” Åsheim said.
29 LNG carriers
With this new order, BW LNG’s fleet now includes 29 vessels, including nine steam carriers built between 2004 and 2008, BW’s website shows.
In 2022, BW LNG confirmed orders for four 174,000-cbm ME-GI LNG carriers at Hanwha Ocean, previously known as DSME.
The company has two more of these vessels under construction and scheduled for delivery next year.
In addition to LNG carriers, BW LNG also operates four FSRUs.
