HHI develops new LNG storage tank

The newly developed LNG storage tank won Approval in Principle from Japanese classification society, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK) back in June 2012.

The Lobe-Bundle Tank is designed primarily for 165,000m³ LNG carriers and it can also be used in LNG carriers, LNG Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, LNG fuelled ships and LNG bunkering systems.

It uses ring shaped plates instead of instead of conventional flat plates to reduce the weight of the tank and building costs significantly. The tank is built using spray insulation, rather than panel insulation which means that construction time is also reduced.

HHI says that its LNG tank technology meets the IMO standards for structural analysis for Type B independent LNG storage tanks.

Pilot tanks are due to be built and final approval be acquired from NK by 2013.