environment MHI hails LNG carrier’s environmental concept
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has conferred one of its Best Innovation 2013 awards on the organisation’s Sayaendo LNG carrier project, which it has described as “a leading force in the movement to develop energy-saving eco ships offering enhanced environmental performance.” The design uses MHI’s ultra steam turbine (UST) plant, which achieves higher thermal efficiency through the effective use of thermal energy by reheating steam. Other design features are said to reduce fuel consumption by 20 per cent compared with existing designs. These include a peapod- shaped continuous cover for the four Moss spherical tanks, which will improve the vessel’s aerodynamics.
An article in the MHI publication Technical
Review described another of the design’s environmental benefits, the new low-load gas mode (NLLGM). This is said to minimise fuel gas consumption at low load. It is an improvement on the established low-load
Cameron LNG project awaits environment report
The Cameron LNG project in Louisiana, USA, has been given a conditional go-ahead to export gas to more countries than are covered by its existing approvals. The conditions include meeting the requirements of an environmental impact assessment that is being carried out by the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In mid February the US Department of Energy gave its conditional non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) approval which, once the conditions are met, will give the project’s partners authority to export to countries that do not have FTAs with the USA. Currently, 20 countries have FTAs and the project has had approval to deal with these since January 2012. One of the partners, GDF Suez, said in a statement that completion of the
environmental impact assessment by FERC was expected within weeks, but did not give details of the requirements that the assessment might impose. In January, however, FERC had issued a draft impact statement which said that the project would have some harmful effects on the environment, but that the impact would not be significant if Cameron adopted the recommended mitigation measures. “We conclude that construction and operation of the Cameron Liquefaction Project would result in mostly temporary and short-term environmental impacts,” FERC said. “However, the project would result in permanent impacts on wetlands, forests, pine plantations, agricultural lands, migratory birds, and essential fish habitat,
The Cameron LNG project has reached a key stage but needs to comply with an environmental impact assessment (credit: GDF Suez)
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and long-term environmental impacts on some species.” According to the Law360 online news service, FERC recommended that Cameron institute a range of mitigation measures that it had already proposed to address those permanent changes. The commission also said that an environmental inspection programme would be implemented, to ensure compliance with all mitigation measures, conditions, and other stipulations included in permits from other federal, state and local agencies. GDF Suez entered into a joint venture agreement with Sempra Energy, Japan LNG Investment (a joint venture entity formed by subsidiaries of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Mitsubishi Corp) and Mitsui & Co to develop the Cameron LNG project. GDF Suez holds a stake of 16.6 per cent. The facility will have a liquefaction capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum. In total, Cameron will be able to export 1.7 billion standard cubic feet (35,700 tonnes) of gas per day for 20 years from its proposed US$6 billion Cameron Parish terminal in Louisiana, which is due to become operational in 2018. For GDF Suez, this gas will be an important addition to its LNG supply portfolio. This currently stands at 16 million tonnes per annum, which the company said is the third largest in the world. It controls a large fleet of 14 LNG carriers under mid and long term charter agreements and is Europe’s main LNG importer. MP
Marine Propulsion I April/May 2014 I 39
gas mode (LLGM), which allows gas-only combustion while manoeuvring by managing the transition between gas-only and dual-fuel operation. That however, “constantly uses more gas fuel than necessary to support the load required by the turbine plant,” the article reported. The NLLGM achieves the same swift transition but does not use more boil-off cargo gas than necessary for combustion. Seven of the ships have been ordered so far and the first is due for delivery during
the 2014-15 fiscal year, which ends on 31 March 2015. This is one of two jointly ordered by Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Osaka Gas Co.
The 288m ships will each carry
153,000m3 of LNG and have a deadweight of 75,000 tonnes. MHI expects there to be continuing demand for the ships, thanks to the suspension of operation of Japan’s nuclear power plants and expanded shale gas production in the USA.
MHI’s Sayaendo concept is shaped to reduce air resistance over its Moss-type LNG tanks (credit: MHI)
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