Dorian LPG to Upgrade Gas Carriers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday May 7, 2018

Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) ship operator Dorian LPG is to build on steps already taken to upgrade up to ten of its very large gas carrier to burn LPG marine fuel.

The operator has signed an agreement with Hyundai Global Service for "research and preliminary engineering studies", it said in a statement.

The move follows a LPG feasibility study undertaken by class society American Bureau of Shipping in September.

According to Dorian, embracing LPG bunker fuel makes sense as the fuel is "widely available and inherently compliant with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) mandate".

The company believes LPG "has a significant advantage over other potential sources, including liquified natural gas, methanol and marine gas oil given the abundant availability of LPG from the shale exploration boom and the existing global distribution network and onshore and floating storage infrastructure for LPG".

Under IMO rules, the sulfur content of marine fuel falls to 0.5% from 2020. In addition, shipping is expected to reduce its carbon footprint by half within 35 years.