Design for world record 25,000 TEU LNG-fueled box ship gets approval

PortandTerminal.com, December 5, 2019

DNV GL awarded Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding an Approval in Principle for a 25,000TEU LNG-fuelled containership, which would be the largest ever built.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – This year’s Marintec maritime industry trade fair in China seems to be pushing the industry limits, with numerous breakthrough announcements and records being unveiled.

The latest one includes the potential construction of what would be the world’s largest containership, boasting 25,000 TEU.

READ: Evergreen signs up for four 23,000 TEU boxships in China

The classification society DNV GL said on Wednesday that it had awarded Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding an Approval in Principle for a 25,000 TEU LNG-fuelled containership. Classification societies such as DNV GL certify that the construction of a vessel complies with relevant standards and carry out regular surveys in service to ensure continuing compliance with the standards.

Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the largest shipbuilding group in China and the second-largest shipbuilding conglomerate in the world.

DNV GL awarded Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding an Approval in Principle for a 25,000TEU LNG-fuelled containership, which would be the largest ever built. Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV GL – Maritime, handed the AIP certificate to Chen Jun, President of Hudong-Zhonghua at #Marintec2019 pic.twitter.com/ZBzGzsAl8J
— DNV GL – Maritime (@dnvgl_maritime) December 4, 2019

LNG-fuelled design concepts have been under the spotlight at the show, as natural gases as fuels take up a greater role in decarbonizing the global fleet of the future.

The classification societies have been busy developing numerous projects with the Chinese yards announcing approvals for ammonia-fuelled ships and LPG class notations to help spur the efforts to design and build zero-emission ships.

In a similar initiative, DNV GL will be teaming up with Huangpu-Wenchong Shipbuilding Company (HPWS) on a 5,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership.

The planned energy-efficient 5,000 TEU Panamax containership is intended for the fast-growing intra-Asia trades, and would feature a hydrodynamically optimized low resistance ship line, cutting edge intelligent ship technology and a more effective structural design.