ABS, the leading provider of classification services to the global offshore industry, has delivered a seminar series addressing developments in the construction and design of liquefied gas carriers. Events were held in Doha, Qatar; Athens, Greece; and Limassol, Cyprus.
“As liquefied natural gas (LNG) becomes a more attractive fuel for power generation, increased demand for LNG will require the construction of more liquefied gas carriers to support both LNG and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas),” says Vassilios Kroustallis, ABS Regional Vice President, Eastern Europe . “The ABS seminar series on liquefied gas carriers is our way of meeting the need for information and guidance in the industry.”
More than 85 members of the shipping community attended the seminar in Athens, which took place on 21 March 2012. Participants included vessel owners, investors and representatives from a number of Korean shipyards, including Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).
“This event was the first to bring together the builders from the Korean yards with the Greek shipping community,” says ABS Vice President for Engineering, Europe Division Dimitrios Kostaras. He stresses the significance of establishing a synergy link among designers, shipyards, shipping companies and classification. “This is one of the key objectives of the seminars and the other is to provide the latest news and information on liquefied gas carriers. The local community has responded with enthusiasm and the seminars were well attended.”
“ABS is particularly well placed to organize and direct this seminar series based on extensive experience classing a number and variety of LNG vessels,” says ABS Vice President of Global Marketing William J. Sember . “We’ve had a presence in Greece for 56 years and have developed strong relationships in the shipping community, which has come to rely on ABS for guidance.”
The seminar addressed recent developments in the design and approval of cargo containment systems as well as sloshing and fatigue assessments as viewed by class. Specific topics included LNG carrier analysis and assessment, LPG cargo handling operations, LNG carrier interface with terminals and LPG construction. The latest regulatory updates relating to liquefied gas carriers also were discussed. All speakers did an excellent job to attract the attention and interest of the participants. The epitome of the seminars was the presentations by the shipyards which brought the latest developments on the design and construction of liquefied gas carriers to an audience thirsty for new knowledge and information.
In addition to the seminar held in Athens, ABS hosted similar seminars in Doha, Qatar, on 19 March and in Limassol, Cyprus, on 22 March.
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, March 27, 2012