South Korea’s shipbuilding giant Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has built and delivered a new LNG carrier to Greek shipping company Maran Gas Maritime.
DSME said that the 173,400-cbm LNG carrier, ordered by Maran Gas in June 2016 , was equipped with an air lubrication system.
The air lubrication system is one of the energy-saving technologies that injects air into the bottom of the ship to create a continuous air layer between the hull and seawater, improving fuel efficiency by reducing frictional resistance during operation.
This system could save five percent of fuel compared to existing LNG carriers. The average ship operation is 20 years, which can reduce fuel costs by about a year and a half.
According to the company, this is the first time this technology was applied to a newly built LNG carrier. It has previously been used on container ships.
DSME added that the vessel’s owner Maran Gas reviewed the LNG carrier’s performance during a trial run in October, and asked to apply the air lubrication technology to subsequent ships.
The company also equipped the vessel with an integrated control system that can monitor and effectively manage related data in real-time while maintaining fuel efficiency in any marine environment.
“ With the successful delivery of ships, the company has solidified its position as a leader in LNG carrier technology. Based on this construction experience, we have used this technology for super-large container ships, LPG carriers, and medium tankers, ” DSME said.
To remind, DSME booked a new LNG order from Maran Gas in mid-August . The order was for a 174,000 cbm LNG carrier which would be built at the Geoje Okpo shipyard and delivered to the owner by the fourth quarter of 2021.
It is worth noting that Maran Gas has ordered six out of the seven LNG carriers DSME booked this year.