KHI Wins AiP from DNV GL for LFPP

The international accredited registrar and classification society DNV GL has awarded the Japanese multinational corporation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) an Approval in Principle (AIP) for their LNG floating power plant (LFPP).

The classification body said in a press release that the LFPP is a decentralized energy generation solution that enables locations to tap into natural gas as part of their power mix.

The LFPP concept is designed for installation in areas where energy demand is rapidly increasing, but onshore infrastructure is not feasible or commercially viable. Instead, the LNG would be offloaded from a carrier, stored onboard in two cylindrical (IMO type C) tanks, and then regasified for power generation and exported to the onshore grid. Regasification takes place in the fuel gas supply space facility located on the deck with the gas then fed into the gas engine power generation system, which is comprised of four gas fueled KHI engines.

“We are pleased to be involved in this project with KHI, continuing a long tradition of cooperation on LNG projects that stretches back nearly 40 years,” said Johan Petter Tutturen, DNV GL Business Director Gas Carriers. “As energy demand increases, this innovative technology could be used to provide supply on a long or short term basis, adding flexibility to the energy mix wherever it is deployed.”

The LFPP concept has been developed based on KHI’s experience with onshore LNG receiving terminals and LNG containment systems. After carrying out both a hazard identification (HAZID) study and a review of the design according to its rules, DNV GL has been able to issue an Approval in Principle for the concept. The AIP finds that the design complies with the DNV GL rules for Gas Power Plants in Part 6, Chapter 5, Section 20, that were introduced in 2018.

An Approval in Principle is an independent assessment of a concept within an agreed framework, confirming that the design is feasible and no significant obstacles exist to prevent the concept from being realized. The AIP is typically carried out at an early stage of a project to confirm its feasibility towards the project team itself, company management, external investors or future regulators.