Hyundai receives approval for VLCC ‘eco-tanker’ design with Rotor Sails
Nor-Shipping, Oslo – Collaboration between Hyundai Heavy Industries and Norsepower receives LR AiP (Approval in Principle). The handover ceremony took place today at Nor-Shipping in Oslo.
Origininal press release: https://www.lr.org/en/latest-news/hhi-approval-vlcc-eco-tanker/
LR presented AiP to HHI in a ceremony at Nor-Shipping 2019, taking place this week in Oslo, Norway.
LR has presented HHI (Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd) with approval in principle (AiP) for a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) ‘eco-tanker’ design, capable of using a combination of volatile organic compounds (VOC) mixed with LNG as fuel and Norsepower’s rotor sail solution for wind-assisted propulsion. This development was the result of a joint development project (JDP) collaboration between HHI, LR and Norsepower.
The VOC recovery system was developed by HHI and will allow the VLCC to use fuel produced from naturally-occurring vapor from the cargo tank during operation. The AiP has been verified for interface and control logic stability with other systems, resulting in reduced emissions and stably improved efficiency.
The impact of the installation of Norsepower’s rotor sail solution, such as structural reinforcement and visibility calculation, was reviewed using computational-fluid dynamics (CFD) during the JDP and it was confirmed that it has the potential of providing 5-7% fuel savings, dependent on operating routes.
LR facilitated a high-level hazard and operability (HAZOP) workshop for the LNG fuel supply system and associated technology in accordance with LR’s ShipRight Procedure for Risk-Based Designs. The concept design has been examined in conjunction with the result of the HAZOP.
This AiP demonstrates the potential for reducing emissions in ship designs, by combining VOC recovery and LNG in a dual-fuel system with the addition of rotor sails, to help the shipping industry address the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Hong-Ryeul Ryu, Vice President in the Initial design office of HHI, said: “We have focused on developing clean and smart ships that are technically reliable and commercially feasible. We are doing our best to design advanced ships that will benefit ship owners and lead eco-friendly shipping. We believe that these efforts will bring us a step closer to the future.”
Jukka Kuuskoski, CSO of Norsepower, said: “We are excited to be collaborating with HHI and Lloyd’s Register on this project. We are optimistic that support from these industry leading organisations will open up the market for our rotor sail technology to a larger number of VLCCs – propelling towards a modern era of auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry, while supporting shipping’s transition to decarbonisation and achieving greater ship fuel efficiencies. Wind is one of the most freely available energy sources making wind-assisted propulsion viable in supporting the shipping industry to reduce its fuel consumption and meet impending carbon reduction targets.”
Nick Brown, LR’s Marine & Offshore Director, presenting the AiP certificate, commented: “Lloyd’s Register is proud to award this AIP to HHI, with collaboration from Norsepower. LR has a unique expertise in the LNG field and alternative fuels, which is widely recognised by the market. This LNG-fuelled VLCC is a clear step towards meeting the IMO’s 2050 GHG goal.”