ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a design concept of large liquefied CO2 carriers of 50,000m³ and 23,000m³ jointly developed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Mitsui OSK Lines, Nihon Shipyard, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsui, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.
While Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects are proceeding worldwide, demand for liquefied CO2 carriers that transport CO2 from the capture site to the storage site is expected to expand. This AiP is a step toward standardisation of hull designs, which is necessary in order to realise a sufficient number of liquefied CO2 carriers to meet the demand.
ClassNK carried out a design review of the ships based on part N of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships, which incorporates the IGC Code, an international code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases such as liquefied CO2 and LNG in bulk. ClassNK issued the AiP after it was confirmed that the prescribed requirements were met.
This AiP includes a tank safety assessment process based on a fracture mechanics technique known as Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA) to omit post-weld heat treatment which can be a bottleneck in tank manufacturing.
Image: AiP Ceremony, from left: Takuya Shirai, Mitsui; Satoshi Kanamori, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha; Hisashi Umemura, Mitsui OSK Lines; Shin Ueda, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding; Kiyoshi Higaki, Nihon Shipyard; Hayato Suga, ClassNK; Tsutomu Yokoyama, Nippon Yusen Kaisha; Mikito Nakaniwa, Mitsubishi Corporation (source: ClassNK)
