GTT has been chosen by its partner the Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to design the cryogenic fuel tanks of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled container vessels.

The two new vessels, each with a capacity of 15,600 containers, will be equipped with LNG tanks, each holding up to 12,800 m³ of LNG used as fuel. The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment technology, developed by GTT. Vessels deliveries are scheduled to occur between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024.

In addition to the engineering services and on-site technical assistance, GTT will assist the operator through every step of the first LNG-fueled project: commissioning of the LNG tank, first LNG bunkering operations, as well as further specific LNG operations and maintenance of the vessels. Moreover, GTT will provide training for the crews, supported by its proprietary G-Sim^® training simulator, which replicates the future LNG operations of the vessels. GTT will also offer its HEARS^® emergency response service with 24/7 technical assistance. 

In addition, GTT will fit these vessels with its “GTT Digital” platform, a “smart shipping” solution to monitor and optimize the operational performance of the vessels and further reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprint.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, declared: “This order marks the first collaboration on LNG-fueled vessels between GTT and its long-time Korean partner Hyundai Heavy Industries. GTT is proud and excited to support the shipping industry in its determination to increasingly use LNG as fuel, thus reducing the environmental footprint of ships.” 

Mr. Seung-Ho Jeon, Ship Building division Executive Vice President of Hyunday Heavy Industries, declared:“HHI is pleased to enter this new chapter of our partnership with GTT, which allows us to expand our LNG-powered container ship portfolio. The choice of GTT’s membrane technology represents an enhancement of technological performance and flexibility for the construction of our vessels.”