Finland-headed marine, gas, and energy technology major Wärtsilä Oyj, has announced that it will collaborate with ABS and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS) to develop a flexible, future-proof, and modular LNG Carrier (LNGC) vessel concept. The pioneering design approach for the Multi-Fuel Electric vessel is intended to deliver immediate CO2 savings, and to be ready for the adoption of future decarbonization technologies to support the marine industry’s ambitions towards zero-emission shipping.
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Wärtsilä’s Integrated Systems and Solutions experts are working alongside specialists from ABS Global Simulation Center and Global Sustainability Center in Singapore, Houston (US), and Athens (Greece), and HZS’ R&D and LNGC design team in Shanghai (China) to evaluate the vessel’s performance against the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) up to at least 2050.
We are very glad to closely work together with Wärtsilä and ABS to develop the new generation of LNG carriers offering a low-carbon footprint and low OPEX cost. This state-of-the-art hybrid solution will be developed to power the future LNG carrier, enabling dual-fuel engines to run always at their best efficiency and providing flexible power supply modes to adapt to various load demands, said Song Wei, R&D Deputy Director of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.
This involves the use of advanced multi-physics modeling and simulation and the application of various decarbonization technologies and solutions to the vessel’s design and operational modes.
Shipowners are currently faced with unprecedented challenges and uncertainties as they attempt to plan for their fleets to meet the IMO’s CII trajectory of -70 percent by 2050. What is certain is that this planning must start now in order to safeguard a future-proof new-build vessel design. By optimizing the vessel design around a compact, electrified, and hybridized propulsion system, remarkably high efficiency will be maintained across a broad range of vessel speeds and power nodes – making it highly suitable to accommodate all needed vessel speed and voyage optimizations in the future, said Stefan Nysjö, VP Power Supply, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
The LNGC will be highly flexible and the entire vessel design will be optimized around a compact, electrified, integrated, and efficient propulsion power solution that will lead to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions immediately.
The modular and hybrid smart propulsion system also provides the correct foundation for the introduction of new and potentially highly intermittent low carbon energy sources and propulsion energy-saving devices, both in the new build phase and also later as potential retrofit solutions. We are honoured that ABS and Hudong-Zhonghua have invited us to contribute to the development of this new LNGC design that will leverage ABS’ long experience in LNGC development and simulation expertise as well as Hudong-Zhonghua´s rich design and construction experience of large LNGCs, said Stefan Nysjö.
The design will also be ready to efficiently integrate new technologies in the future in order to stay ahead of the requirements of CII.
The evolving demands of the CII mean vessels will need to be ready to continuously adapt to improve their rating and remain viable for the duration of their operational life. Advanced multi-physics modeling and simulation techniques enable the development of a vessel with a strong CII profile at launch that is also equipped to take advantage of future decarbonization technologies as they mature. ABS is a leader in the application of multi-physics modeling and simulation at sea, and we are excited about the potential of this technology to drive shipping’s decarbonization ambitions and meet IMO 2050 objectives, said Patrick Ryan, SVP Global Engineering and Technology at ABS.
