Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Earns AIP for LCO2 Spherical Cargo Tank System

Bureau Veritas (BV) said it has delivered an approval in principle (AIP) to Mitsubishi Shipbuilding – part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group – for a spherical cargo tank system for liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers.

LCO2 carriers transport liquefied CO2 in a low temperature, high pressure state. Independent Type C tanks are typically used for the cargo tank system. Until now, various tank structures have been available, including cylindrical, bilobed and trilobed designs.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has developed a new spherical cargo tank system for LCO2 carriers, applying its advanced technologies in structural analysis and material evaluation cultivated through the design and construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers equipped with spherical tanks. Compared with cylindrical, bilobed and trilobed options, spherically shaped tanks offer greater structural strength against internal pressure of the tank. The adoption of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding’s spherical cargo tank system is expected to further optimization of ship arrangement and enhance the economic performance of LCO2 carriers.

BV said it reviewed the design of the LCO2 spherical cargo tank system and confirmed that the applied methodology to design type C tank complies with the International Gas Carrier (IGC) Code, which applies to marine vessels carrying liquefied gas in bulk, as well as applicable BV’s ship classification rules.

Alex Gregg-Smith, Senior Vice President & Chief Executive, North Asia and China at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said, “This AIP recognizes that Mitsubishi Shipbuilding’s new spherical cargo tank technology meets our class rules and standards.”