OREANDA-NEWS. December 23, 2013. China’s Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) and Lloyd’s Register China will jointly design an LNG fuelled multi-purpose vessel (MPV).

The 28,000 deadweight (dwt) type motor general cargo ship will adhere to Lloyd’s Register’s requirements and meet current and future environmental targets.

Luis Benito, head of global marine marketing at Lloyd’s Register, said: "This project is the latest example of our efforts to work with key partners to develop safe, LNG fuelled deep sea ships. Assessing and addressing risk is where we really add value as we transfer five decades of leadership in LNG carrier classification into supporting the exciting opportunities offered by gas for mainstream shipping."

The MPV will feature new propulsion systems (dual/triple-fuelled) and meet new operational requirements. Lloyd’s Register will apply its risk methodology for novel technology processes to assess the technical risk. The company aims to issue an approval in principle (AIP) for the new design including approval of the LNG as fuel systems.

Nishiyama, vice president of NACKS, said: "We are focused on the development of green ship technologies, especially using LNG as fuel for merchant vessels. Co-operation with classification pioneers, LR, and sub-vendors, knowledge, experience and research resource can be definitely shared in order to keep pace with leading expertise in this segment, and this will be beneficial for both parties involved to find practical, feasible technology solutions fit for customers’ expectations in the future."