At the Gastech 2021 exhibition in Dubai, GTT and naval architecture and engineering firm Deltamarin received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from the classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for their new design applied for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled tanker (Aframax type^[1]).

This new LNG-fueled tanker design employs membrane tank technology developed by GTT. GTT has designed the tank, while its integration into the vessel has been studied by Deltamarin.

The approval from ABS certifies that the onboard integration of the membrane fuel tank solution is technically feasible for an LNG-fueled tanker and that it complies with all safety regulations. This new design provides a solution, which fully complies with environmental regulations adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) until 2030. Compared to a conventional oil-fueled tanker, this new LNG-fueled tanker design reduces CO₂ emissions by at least 20%. It also offers increased autonomy without reducing the cargo volume.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, said: “This new design further demonstrates GTT’s ambition to innovate and support the maritime industry in facing the challenges of the energy transition. With Deltamarin and ABS, we are very proud to be able to offer a new LNG-fueled tanker solution that is more respectful of the environment and without making any compromise on cargo.”

Pier Carazzai, ABS Vice President, Regional Business Development, said: “ABS is committed to supporting the maritime industry to drive innovation in designs that can meet emission reduction objectives and to facilitating development of alternative solutions for the shipping community. Only by joining forces will we achieve success in the decarbonization of our industry and so ABS is pleased to support GTT and Deltamarin with this AiP of an innovative Aframax design.”

Janne Uotila, Managing Director of Deltamarin, said: “Deltamarin has put a lot of effort into understanding alternative fuels and new technologies during the past years. The key drivers in this design have been energy efficiency and environmental impact in addition to operational performance and safety. It has been our privilege at Deltamarin to work with professionals from GTT and ABS during this interesting project.”