Bunkering

A computer-generated image of a 6.5 K LNG bunkering vessel.
A computer-generated image of a 6.5 K LNG bunkering vessel.

 

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is speeding up the domestic development of LNG bunkering vessels, a new cash cow for the global shipping industry, in cooperation with Korean firms.

The company announced on Sept. 7 that its 6.5 K LNG bunkering vessel won the Approval in Principle (AIP) of Lloyd's Register. It has worked on the ship with local shipbuilding equipment suppliers since 2013 in the framework of a government project.

At present, most of the main shipbuilding equipment used in LNG bunkering vessels are supplied by foreign firms and Korean shipbuilders have had to import such equipment at high costs. However, the accomplishment that STX Offshore & Shipbuilding achieved at this time with NK, Flutek, and Korval and research agencies such as the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) is expected to be a boon for their efforts for cost reduction. This is the first time that an LNG bunkering vessel that incorporates domestically-developed equipment such as LNG tanks won an AIP of that kind.

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding also announced that the development of key parts such as loading arms is in smooth progress. Under the circumstances, Korean companies are expected to be able to increase their standing in the global market.

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