Revolutionary multi

More ships in the future are primed to carry multiple cargoes.

At the Nor-Shipping trade fair yesterday, Lloyd's Register (LR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) awarded design approval to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) for the development of the world's first 22,000 cu m multi-gas carrier.

The vessel will be capable of carrying liquified carbon dioxide (LCO2), liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ammonia (NH3) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and incorporates a new type of steel in its tanks that supports greater efficiency in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.

The steel used in the Type C tank construction for multi-gas will make scantling lighter whilst keeping intact the tanks’ structural integrity. This innovation allows an upscale in the size of the carrier, improving storage and transportation, something shipbuilders are not able to do with more conventional materials.

When built, the carrier will transport liquefied carbon dioxide under pressure, allowing carbon from the CCS process to be transported to storage facilities.

HD KSOE and HMD have developed three different LCO2 carriers to respond to the market demands of different business models in the CO2 value chain, which include a 12,000 cu m LCO2 carrier with medium-pressure cargo tanks, a 22,000 cu m LCO2 carrier with low-pressure cargo tanks and a 30,000 cu m LCO2 carrier with low-pressure cargo tanks.

Ships able to carry more than one type of cargo are expected to grow in number in the coming years as part of maritime's overall decarbonisation drive.

By way of an example, Stena Bulk, one of Scandinavia's largest tanker players, unveiled its InfinityMAX concept vessel design a couple of years ago. The zero emissions ship can carry both dry and wet cargoes in modular compartments, something Stena Bulk claimed could have as big an impact on shipping as the advert of containerisation in the 1950s.

"The creation of standardised and modular cargo units that can carry dry bulk, liquid bulk or liquified gas products – such as methane, hydrogen or ammonia – will significantly streamline the process of transporting wet and dry bulk cargoes," Stena Bulk stated in a release.