South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has developed its own independent LNG cargo containment system that it plans to offer in the offshore market as a rival to the existing SPB-type.
The yard has unveiled a Q-Flex-sized design of what it is calling the ACT-IB (Aluminum Cargo Tank– Independent type B) system, which can hold up to 210,000-cbm of LNG.DSME is claiming this is the world's largest independent LNG cargo containment system for vessels and LNG floating production storage and offloading units.
"DSME will apply this technology to its LNGFPSOs, which produce over 2 million tonnage of LNG annually," it said in a statement. Company officials said the design has received "approval in principle" from classification society DNV but is still in its initial stage. The SPB-type system has proved of interest to companies looking to develop offshore LNG production projects in that it permits any level of filling within the unit's tanks ruling out concerns over potential sloshing issues which have dogged membrane-type containment systems.
DSME, which s fighting to gain a firm footing in the offshore LNG market where rival Samsung Heavy Industries so far been fast to scoop the advantage, was quick to talk up the plus side of developing its own system. "The development of the 'ACT-IB' system means that DSME no longer has to pay a technology royalty to French or Japanese LNG containment system patent holders," the yard said. "The new technology can be immediately adopted for use in LNG carriers or floating facilities, saving the company a significant amount of royalty expenses."
Licence fees have proved a bugbear in the past. Japanese shipbuilder IHI hasbeen the sole developer of the original SPB-type system, which it has licensed in different materials to rivals Samsung and Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Fuente: LNG Unlimited
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