Isla Bella
The era has come that a liquefied natural gas (LNG) engine is being used in a ship. The world’s first LNG-powered container ship designed by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) was unveiled for the first time. DSME announced on April 22 that it held a ceremony to name and launch the 3,100 TEU ship at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego on April 18 (local time). The ship was christened the Isla Bella.
The container ship was ordered by TOTE, the leading U.S. logistics and transportation company, in 2012. It is the world’s first LNG-powered container ship with an ME-GI engine.
The ship included DSME’s patented LNG fuel-gas system, part of its “greenship technology,” for the first time.
Since the LNG-powered ship is more environmentally friendly and economical than existing ships, it is considered to be the future of the shipbuilding industry. By switching to LNG, it can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) by 23 percent, sulfur oxides (SOx) by more than 95 percent, and gas prices by 35 percent compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO) ships.