GTT LNG Tank Ordered for Hapag-Lloyd Retrofit

French LNG containment specialist GTT has been notified by the Chinese shipyard Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for the design of the LNG Fuel tank as part of the retrofit of Hapag Lloyd MV Sajir container ship.

Sajir is an ultra large container vessel with a capacity of 15,000 TEU, being built on behalf of the ship-owner Hapag-Lloyd.

The retrofit project of the vessel has been carried out with the Hamburg based ship designer Technolog, the maritime solution provider MAN Energy Solution and its subsidiary MAN Cryo.

The design of the project is based on the use of an exoskeleton-type structure which obtained a GASA (General Approval for Ship Application) by DNV-GL in 2017. The structure, pre-equipped with GTT’s Mark III cryogenic containment system, will be installed and integrated into a cargo bay of the current vessel.

By using the ship’s structure as a support, this exoskeleton solution reduces the weight of the tank and shortens the retrofit time of the ship. This 6,500 m3 LNG tank will offer more efficient space utilisation for fuel storage. The completion of the ship’s retrofit is planned during the first semester of 2020.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT said: “We are very proud to take part in this project with the Mark III membrane containment system. It will be the first ever retrofit of this kind for the use of LNG as a marine fuel. GTT is pleased to answer its client’s requirement with tailor made solutions in a challenging environment.”