The Korean Register (KR) has announced the establishment of a new LNG Fueled and Bunkering Simulation Center (KR LSC).  The new facility is located at KR’s headquarters in Busan and officially opened on 15 September.

Following the opening ceremony, a memorandum of understanding was signed between KR and Transgas Solution (TGS, CEO LEE Jae-ik) agreeing to build an Operator Training Simulator (OTS) system which will be used to training operators of LNG-propelled ships and for ship-to-ship bunkering.

The KR LSC has been established to facilitate industrial growth across the LNG propulsion and bunkering sector based on KR’s long-standing high level expertise with LNG technology. The use of LNG as a ship fuel and demand for bunkering is expected to increase as a result of the International Maritime Organization’s regulations to reduce SOx, which came into effect at the beginning of this year, and with the strengthening of GHG emission regulations in the future.

The KR LSC will provide comprehensive technical services relating to LNG operations, including not only the customized trial and optimal operations for LNG fuel supply and bunkering systems but also conducting the detailed risk analysis for liquefied gas for ships propelled by eco-friendly fuels such as LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia.

KR will also collaborate with TGS to develop practical education and training programs for shipping companies, shipyards, and equipment companies, for example by combining the use of an Operator Training Simulator (OTS) and Virtual Reality (VR) based on a real-time simulation of the LNG vessel fuel processes.

Dr. HA Tae-beom, EVP of KR’s R&D Division, said at the signing ceremony: “KR is already renowned for providing world’s best technical services for structural strength assessment, temperature distribution analysis, and thermal stress analysis of LNG carriers. We will increase competitiveness by providing high-quality LNG technology services to our customers – shipping companies and shipyards around the world.”

MR. LEE Jae-ik, CEO of TGS, said: “I welcome this collaboration with KR, our work to develop advanced education and training using the Operator Training Simulator (OTS) is hugely important, and underpins our commitment to training LNG experts across the maritime sector and engineering industry.”

Meanwhile, KR has been procuring test technology for LNG-propelled ship engines and aftertreatment devices through the Greenship Equipment Testing and Certification Center (TCC) established in Gunsan in 2015.  The newly established KR LSC will provide unified LNG technical services adding simulation technology and enabling the implementation of a pretreatment device for LNG fuel propulsion.