GTT (Gaztransport & Technigaz), an engineering firm specialising in containment systems with cryogenic membranes used to transport and store liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Monday (15 February) said it has obtained two Approvals in Principle (AiP) from Bureau Veritas, a leader in testing, inspection and certification.

The first AiP is related to its ‘NH3 Ready’ classification of Mark III membrane tanks. This AiP recognizes that the Mark III system, without any major design changes, is suitable for the subsequent containment of ammonia in LNG as fuel applications.

Over the course of the AIP study, a compatibility assessment with ammonia has been carried out for the primary barrier of Mark III technology and a test campaign has been performed to determine the level of reinforcement of the containment system to take into account the higher density of ammonia compared to LNG.

The second Approval obtained from Bureau Veritas is for the higher design pressure of “1 barg” in LNG as fuel applications, such as large container vessels.

Thanks to an existing alternative design of membrane tanks with specific dome reinforcement, this Approval gives ship-owners more flexibility in all their operations.

The company noted these approvals reaffirm GTT’s ability to offer ship-owners a flexible and future-proof solutions, enabling them to secure their investment with regard to changes in the supply chain and environmental regulation.

“Being “NH3 Ready”, and the alternative “1 barg” design, once again underline the importance of our ability to continuously innovate, in order to provide our customers with even more reliable, performant, safe and flexible technologies,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT.

“GTT targets bringing increased flexibility to ship-owners required to adapt as well and as quickly as possible to an ever changing fuel world.

“While we are convinced that LNG is the solution of choice for cleaning-up ship emissions even further, we have to take into consideration that ammonia, coming from green hydrogen, could bring additional reductions in emissions. In offering ammonia compatibility, we open the perspective to owners of a much longer period for ship amortization.”

“Bureau Veritas is helping the industry prepare for the future fuel landscape. It is therefore exciting to support GTT in their continued journey of innovation,” added Matthieu de Tugny, President, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.

“Our role is to help the industry understand – and address – both risk and opportunity as we look for energy transition solutions. It is a pleasure to be awarding this first approval for an ammonia membrane containment tank system, based on the tried and trusted Mark III technology, to GTT.”

Related: Bureau Veritas awards AiP to GTT Ultra Large Container Vessel LNG fuel tank
Related: Korea Fair Trade Commission fines GTT EUR 9.5 million over competition law violation
Related: GTT: LNG as fuel segment orderbook at 17 units; royalty income up 12.1% on year in 9M 2020

Photo credit: GTT
Published: 17 February, 2021