Lloyd’s Register’s Global Marine Risk Adviser, Vince Jenkins, takes an optimistic view of a technical issue in the latest issue of Lloyd’s Register’s Horizons.
The location of storage tanks is a key issue for shipowners, designers, builders and classification societies as the industry explores the potential of
using LNG to power the global fleet. It is particularly important on vessels such as cruise ships, containerships and ferries where there is little or no alternative to LNG bunker space within or below a vessel’s accommodation area.
Views vary from the opponents who say it should not even be considered to those who believe it should be possible to engineer such a system safely. Obviously there are always trade-offs to be made. In this case, the environmental benefit of using LNG as fuel needs to be weighed against a factual or perceived view that safety will suffer.
I have in fact thought about the challenge of tank location from three different perspectives:
More than 10 years ago, Europe’s skies were full, using the gold-plated standard that had been set in terms of 3D separation between planes. This standard would have had to change if more planes were to get into the skies. The standard, like so many, had evolved from people making both a best-case and cautious estimate of what would be safe at the time. European Air Traffic Control evolved the aircraft separation distance by understanding where the pinch points were, and so had a high degree of confidence in reducing the separation distances where acceptable.
The 2010 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix involved a car crash at close to 200 mph when the Australian driver Mark Webber’s Red Bull car flipped over. Most people expected him to have at least major injuries. He walked away from the car, not even visibly shaken, let alone injured. Operating at the cutting-edges of engineering, Formula One has made huge advances in the last decade or so.
Submarines are quite extraordinary pieces of engineering. They withstand immense pressures, operate in three dimensions, and are designed to withstand significant external shock requirements. Most have nuclear power plants within them, with operators standing within metres of a critical reactor. Such submarine technology has been around for almost 60 years.
So can we safely incorporate LNG tanks into or below shipboard accommodation?
We undoubtedly can. The cost of achieving it may be significant, but the technology and design capability is certainly about to achieve it.
Class societies are a keystone of safety in the marine industry. They also need to be visionary from time to time. In Lloyd’s Register’s case we are a charity and everyone in society is our stakeholder. Hence we need to provide a framework that will allow innovation – while ensuring the balance between environmental gain and safety is duly considered.
In the past, Lloyd’s Register and other class societies have achieved this by developing prescriptive rules. There is a move to a more goal-based approach to drive rule development. And as this article goes to print, this is exactly what we are doing on the subject of LNG tank placement within or under accommodation.
We cannot yet judge what the outcome of such development work will be, but we are certainly looking at it to enable such technology to be embraced within the industry.
by Giulia Champion (University of Southampton) From seascapes and ship portraits to underwater wildlife and coastal scenes, maritime artworks on display this month at the Royal Society of Marine Artists...
Ever wondered how cruise lines supersize their ships? In 2008, the cruise ship Balmoral underwent a significant transformation at Hamburg’s Blohm + Voss shipyard when it was extended by 99...
by Kevin Hamilton (University of Hawaii) In 2021, an expedition off the icy northern Greenland coast spotted what appeared to be a previously uncharted island. It was small and gravelly,...
September 1, 2023
Total Views: 12513
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.