DNV Offering 'LNG Ready' Ship Designs

DNV's Gerd-Michael Würsig said all emissions-reduction technology comes with uncertainties

Det Norske Vertitas (DNV) says it is now offering class approved designs for ships capable of being converted to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), allowing shipowners to prepare for LNG bunkering without making an expensive commitment to the fuel.

DNV notes that shipowners have three obvious options for meeting sulfur limits that go into effect in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in 2015: installing scrubbers, switching to low sulfur fuel oil, and converting ships to run on LNG.

"Each option has different uncertainties, for example the relative immaturity of some technologies and the effect market forces will have on the price of the different fuels," said Gerd-Michael Würsig, business director for LNG fuelled ships at DNV.

"These factors are making commitment to a specific solution particularly difficult at this point in time.

"The cheapest investment may end up being the most expensive option in the long run, so many shipowners are rightly cautious."

DNV said LNG is likely to be a "sensible" option in many cases, but any decision about investing in the technology will depend on a variety of factors.

"To ensure readiness for LNG as a fuel, DNV offers verification of the design concept and confirmation of compliance through DNV's Approval in Principle" said Torill Grimstad Osberg, head of DNV's LNG, Cargo handling & Piping systems section.

"DNV helps to identify and mitigate the risks associated with a given design to ensure the development of a safe system right from the beginning."

DNV's natural gas segment director recently predicted that use of LNG bunkers will become nearly universal, but questions remain about the supply of natural gas and the construction of infrastructure for LNG bunkering.