First LNG order for Japanese joint venture
The ship is to the MHI ‘Sayaendo’ design, and is the eighth order for this ship type, and the first to be placed through MI LNG.
The Sayaendo is described as a next-generation ship offering superior fuel efficiency. As such, it is unusual for an ‘eco-ship’ in being powered by a steam turbine plant.
NG carriers are, of course, one of the last bastions of this type of propulsion, thanks to its use of boil-off gas from the cargo to heat the steam. Although dual-fuel reciprocating engines are gaining a significant foothold in this market, the turbine plant remains popular with some owners.
The Sayaendo is 288m length oa, 48.94m wide, and of 11.5m draught. The 75,000dwt ship has a service speed of 19.5 knots, and can vary 153,000m³ of LNG in four Moss-type spherical tanks, sited under a ‘pea-pod’ shaped cover which allows a weight reduction while maintaining structural rigidity, and offers significantly lower air resistance underway.
The main power plant is MHI’s ‘Ultra Steam Turbine’ (UST) which is provides higher thermal efficiency through reheating steam, with 20% claimed improvement in fuel efficiency over a conventional turbine plant.
It also features additional environmental measures, including a ballast water treatment plant.
Completion of the ship, to be built at the MHI Nagasaki yard, is scheduled for 2017.
