World News
Anti-sloshing Blanket Could Make LNG Tanker Ops More Efficient
German chemical company BASF SA says a product it helped develop, described as a "blanket made of foam blocks," could stop sloshing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks, allowing carriers to operate with tanks that are only partly filled.
The foam, called Basotect, which is now used for insulation in various industries, can function at the extremely low temperatures that LNG requires and is capable of floating on the liquid's surface with the help of buoys while being substantial enough to prevent sloshing.
Currently, BASF says, LNG tankers can only travel with tanks either empty or loaded over 80 percent, so allowing them to travel with half-full tanks would allow them to call on several harbours in a row, reducing costs and making operations more efficient.
BASF and Samsung developed the "blanket" concept, in which Basotect and buoy materials are stitched into textile covers and secured with belts.
The concept has been tested by researchers at Seoul National University and Pusan National University in South Korea, which found the blanket can reduce peak pressures against tank walls by about one-fifth and reduce sloshing and boil-off rate.
Samsung has received "general approval" for the concept from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Bureau Veritas in France.
Other concepts for reducing sloshing in LNG tanks include a flat plate containment system developed by Braemar Engineering and a membrane containment system by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
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| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 532.00 | 15.50 | 623.00 | 25.00 |
| Rotterdam | 472.50 | 8.00 | 623.00 | 10.50 |
| Houston | 469.50 | 8.00 | 627.00 | 16.50 |
| Fujairah | 519.50 | 15.50 | 725.00 | 8.50 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 540.00 | 8.00 | 718.50 | 10.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 498.50 | 12.00 | 649.50 | 15.00 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 576.00 | 5.50 | 759.00 | 3.50 |
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