LR approval for Chinese LNG bulker design

COSCO Shipyard Group, Piraeus-based shipping company Golden Union and Lloyd’s Register started the project in June 2011 to investigate the potential to develop a commercially viable bulk carrier design based on an existing COSCO conventional design, but employing gas powered propulsion systems. The ‘Clean Sky’ design builds in flexibility by enabling owners to choose dual- or tri-fuel engines able to burn HFO or MDO, as well as LNG.

The 81,000dwt ship is 229m long, 32.26m beam with a design draught of 12.2m. The proposed main engine is a MAN B&W 6S60ME C-8.2 – GI Tier II. For the containment system, the project team chose a single, 1,160 m3 type ‘C’ tank situated aft on the port side. Lloyd’s Register’s risk methodology for novel technology process provided a pathway through the complexity of the technical risk assessment.

Nick Brown, Lloyd’s Register’s area general manager and marine manager, greater China, said: “This news moves the industry far beyond the concept stage. A ‘Clean Sky’ ship could be built next year. We have addressed the technology issues; the approval in principle that we issued today only comes after exhaustive risk investigations into the gas containment, bunkering systems and performance assessment.”