Shanghai, 7 December 2017: At the Marintec China trade fair today, classification society 
DNV GL presented GTT, together with its partner TECHNOLOG, a General Approval for Ship Application (GASA) statement for the retrofit of very large container vessels (VLCVs) with exoskeleton membrane LNG tanks.
 
LNG membrane tanks will generally offer more efficient space utilisation for cargo storage and as fuel tanks. The exoskeleton concept offered by GTT, and developed in partnership with TECHNOLOG, consists of a structure that can be prebuilt on the dock and then installed as a complete unit in the hull of the vessel. This greatly reduces the construction time of the ship at the yard and eliminates the necessity to go into dry dock. 
 
The solution has been developed for VLCVs with a capacity of 14,000 to 18,000 TEU and offers a new possibility for owners to more easily refit existing vessels with an LNG fuel system. Switching to using LNG as a ship fuel will mean a vessel will comply with incoming restrictions on the use of high sulphurs fuels.   
 
“The GASA approval issued by DNV GL is very important for us, as it shows that the new solution can be ordered and retrofitted today,” says Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT. “It will allow interested shipowners to get ahead of the IMO’s 2020 Global Sulphur Cap regulations, giving customers and charterers greater certainty as we head to this significant regulatory change. By bringing this solution to market, GTT reaffirms its position as an innovative provider for the industry, continually working to optimize our customer’s operational performance.”    
 
“This advanced technology is a milestone for cost-effective LNG retrofit and newbuilding solutions for larger vessels. With introduction of LNG as ship fuel there are immediate benefits to ship owners related to a reduced carbon dioxide footprint (EEDI) as well as all other harmful exhaust emissions,” said Hans-Jürgen Voigt, Shareholder and Managing Director of TECHNOLOG.
 
“We congratulate GTT and TECHNOLOG on achieving this milestone,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV GL – Maritime. “This innovative new solution offers forward thinking shipowners another option when they are considering LNG as a ship fuel and will help to continue the development of this important technology. We look forward to building on this excellent cooperation with GTT and TECHNOLOG in the future.”
 
A General Approval for Ship Application (GASA) is a full approval of the technology under consideration, according to the DNV GL Rules for Classification, which examines a typical installation of the technology in a vessel.
 
Caption: DNV GL presented GTT and TECHNOLOG with a GASA statement for the retrofit of very large container vessels (VLCVs) with exoskeleton membrane LNG tanks.  From left to right: Helmut Radebold, TECHNOLOG, Geoffroy Beutter, GTT, Henning Pewe, DNV GL - Maritime, Gerd-Michael Würsig, DNV GL – Maritime, Hans-Jürgen Voigt, TECHNOLOG.
 
 
DNV GL media hub for Marintec China: www.dnvgl.com/press17
 
About DNV GL
DNV GL is a global quality assurance and risk management company. Driven by our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, we enable our customers to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. Operating in more than 100 countries, our professionals are dedicated to helping customers in the maritime, oil & gas, power and renewables and other industries to make the world safer, smarter and greener.
 
About DNV GL – Maritime
DNV GL is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. We enhance safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures. We invest heavily in research and development to find solutions, together with the industry, that address strategic, operational or regulatory challenges. For more information visit www.dnvgl.com/maritime
 
Media contact DNV GL:
Nikos Späth, Head of Media and Public Relations 
DNV GL Maritime Communications
Tel.: +49 (0)40 36149-4856
Email: nikos.spaeth@dnvgl.com