The comprehensive guide provides criteria for the arrangements, construction, installation and operation of machinery components and systems for vessels fueled 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.
'With ship operators facing economic pressures from fuel costs combined with impending regulations aimed at reducing exhaust gas emissions, particularly for sulfur oxide, LNG fueled propulsion systems could be a practical and beneficial solution,' said Christopher J. Wiernicki, chief executive officer and president for ABS, in a statement.
Consideration in the guide was also given to industry standards including the International Maritime Organization's Resolution MSC.285(86) Interim Guidelines on Safety for Natural Gas-Fueled Engine Installations in Ships, the International Gas Carrier Code, and the IMO International Code of Safety for Gas-Fuelled Ships, currently under development.
Significant input to the guide also came from a joint research project with DSME and A.P. Moller – Maersk to develop a LNG-fueled containership. Concluded earlier this year, the project addressed the design and technical issues involving 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 design. The study also assessed operational, economic and regulatory impacts from the use of LNG as a fuel source.
Of particular interest in the study were the considerations given to the type and arrangement of fuel tanks used to provide the utmost safety for the crew and to minimize capacity reductions, ABS noted. The study found that the initial costs for LNG fueled propulsion could be recouped within a three- to 10-year period, depending upon the applied LNG prices.
'Natural gas has been used as a fuel for small regional non-LNG carriers working in environmentally sensitive areas,' said Yoshi Ozaki, ABS's director of environmental technology. 'This study further supports technical feasibility of LNG fuel and suggests promise for a viable extended business line for LNG suppliers.'
