GE, HHI and LR sign project to develop clean-powered container ship design

With LNG-fuelled gas turbines and electric motors, the design will be a clean-powered ship with maximum efficiency and operational speed flexibility. While gas turbines are a proven technology and have been used at sea in naval vessels, high-speed craft and passenger ships, the benefits of gas turbines have not yet been applied to mainstream cargo shipping, the three said in a statement. This project will develop a design to safely maximise the potential operational benefits of gas turbine systems. The vessel is likely to use COGES (combined gas turbine, electric and steam) propulsion and power systems. The gas turbine is 80% lighter and 30% smaller than comparable slow-speed diesel applications so it can be located anywhere on the ship. The GE gas turbines can be equipped with a GE Dry Low Emissions (DLE) or single annular combustion system capable of meeting Tier III IMO/Tier IV United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements with no exhaust treatment and no methane slip. The turbines can run on diesel as well as gas, if required, providing further flexibility. Since April 2015, Lloyd’s Register and GE have worked together on a number of joint development projects related to gas turbines.