Marine Companies Join Forces to Advance LNG-Fueled Vessels

ABS, a provider of classification services to the global marine and offshore industries, has teamed up with partners Arista Shipping, Deltamarin, GTT and Wärtsilä in the “Project Forward” joint development project (JDP) to develop a dry bulk carrier concept that employs LNG as fuel.

The goal is to develop a Kamsarmax bulk carrier design to be the first of this type suitable for worldwide services powered by LNG in compliance with stringent environmental standards, including the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index 2025 standards, NOx Tier III and Marpol Annex VI SOx emission levels. This design will be the first LNG-fueled cargoship capable of full-range operations.

“The long-term potential for LNG as a marine fuel is tremendous,” says ABS Vice President of Global Gas Solutions Patrick Janssens. “We see the near-term opportunities for larger vessels on fixed and known trade routes, but more opportunities will emerge as concepts mature and bunkering infrastructure expands.”

Technical challenges in developing this design were considerable, as there is a need to carry a large volume of LNG, which corresponds to full-range operation and 40 days, in a type of ship where available space is limited and cargo space is at a premium.

ABS will provide Approval in Principle for the concept, using a GTT membrane LNG fuel tank. This design also could be applied to other bulk carrier sizes and serve as the basis for an LNG-fueled tanker. The concept features a Wärtsilä four-stroke, medium-speed engine without auxiliary generators, the first time this configuration has been applied to a vessel of this type, significantly simplifying the vessel’s engine room arrangement and contributing to lower costs.