Guidance for gas fuelled ships

With rising fuel costs and today’s global interest on emission reduction, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is considered a promising alternative fuel for all type of ships.  In response to industry’s need for technical guidance for new buildings and conversion of existing vessels with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as promising alternative fuel, class society ABS released its Guide for Propulsion and Auxiliary Systems for Gas Fuelled Ships.   

The new ABS Guide provides criteria for the arrangements, construction, installation and operation of machinery components and systems for vessels fuelled by natural gas.  The objective of the guidance is to minimize operating risks and promote the protection of the vessel, its crew and the environment.

Consideration was also given to industry standards including the IMO Resolution MSC.285(86) Interim Guidelines on Safety for Natural Gas-Fuelled Engine Installations in Ships, the International Gas Carrier Code and the IMO International Code of Safety for Gas-Fuelled Ships, currently under development.

Significant contributions to the Guide also came from a joint research project with DSME and A.P. Moller Maersk to develop a LNG-fuelled containership. Concluded earlier this year, the project addressed the design and technical issues surrounding the use of a 7,000 TEU containership burning LNG as fuel for both propulsion and power generation, with ABS providing Approval in Principle for the resulting design. The study also assessed operational, economic and regulatory impacts from the use of LNG as a fuel source.