The Chinese shipyard Dalian Shipbuilding carried out sea trials of the first VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) tanker equipped with dual liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines, which it builds for Cosco.
This new vessel is 332.6 meters in length, 60 meters in command and 318,000 dwt, it was commissioned to be propelled by conventional fuel in 2017, but the project was updated a year later, to incorporate dual engines fueled by LNG.
The low pressure dual fuel main engine has been supplied by WinGD Engine Company. The ship incorporates two tanks for gas storage on deck that give it a range of 12,000 miles with LNG as fuel and up to 24,000 miles using fuel oil and LNG.
According to a recent report, more and more VLCC tankers are opting for alternative fuels or the possibility of using them in the future.
Of the 71 ships of this type in the order book, 44% incorporate dual LNG engines or are LNG Ready, that is, they will be able to easily upgrade their engines to use LNG as fuel in the future. Also this year, three VLCCs prepared to use ammonia as fuel in the future have been ordered.
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