January 29, 2024 [LNG Prime]- Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has completed the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks fitted with GTT’s NO96 Super+ containment system.

On January 5, Hudong-Zhonghua closed the last of four LNG tanks with this system installed on the 174,000-cbm LNG carrier with a working name H1880A.

This is the first of six LNG carriers Japan’s MOL, in a partnership with COSCO Shipping’s unit CSLNG, has ordered at the shipbuilder in January 2022.

All of the ships will serve CNOOC’s gas and power unit under long-term charter deals.

Hudong-Zhonghua said its LNG construction team had been working for seven months and 19 days to complete the construction of the tanks fitted with GTT’s NO96 Super+ containment system.

The shipbuilder is the first to complete tanks with this technology, while South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, previously known as DSME, is also currently working on LNG tanks with this system, according to GTT.

Back in 2021, GTT received approvals from classification societies for its upgraded NO96 cargo containment system.

According to GTT, this new evolution of the NO96 system maintains the main features of the NO96 technology, in particular the principle of double invar metallic membranes and the mechanical anchors fixing the insulating panels to the inner hull.

The system integrates insulating reinforced polyurethane foam panels instead of plywood boxes, used for both the primary and secondary insulation spaces, to reduce the heat ingress inside the tank, GTT said.

NO96 Super+ offers a guaranteed boil-off rate of 0,085%V/d for the current standard-size LNG carrier of 174,000 cbm, the firm claims.

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