Wärtsilä’s integrated systems and solutions will be an integral part of the future-proof LNG carrier design. Credit: Wärtsilä.

Finnish technology firm Wärtsilä has joined forces with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS) and ABS to develop a future-ready concept for a multi-fuel electric liquefied natural gas carrier (LNGC) vessel.

The new vessel will be designed to deliver ‘significant’ CO₂ savings as well as be ready for the adoption of future decarbonisation technologies that will support the marine industry’s aim for zero-emission shipping.

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The companies will investigate the vessel’s performance against the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) up to at least 2050.

ABS Centers for excellence in Singapore, Houston, US, and Athens, Greece, will work on the project alongside Integrated Systems and Solutions experts from Wärtsilä and the HZS R&D and LNGC design teams in Shanghai, China.

They will use advanced multi-physics modelling and simulation techniques as well as applying various decarbonisation technologies and solutions to the design and operational modes of the vessel.

Wärtsilä stated that the complete vessel design will be optimised around a compact, electrified and integrated propulsion power solution that will offer significant CO₂ emission reductions immediately.

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The carrier will also be designed to integrate new technologies in the future, which will allow it to stay ahead of CII requirements.

ABS Global Engineering and Technology senior vice president Patrick Ryan said: “The evolving demands of the CII mean vessels will need to be ready to continuously adapt to improve their rating and remain viable for the duration of their operational life.

“Advanced multi-physics modelling and simulation techniques enable the development of a vessel with a strong CII profile at launch that is also equipped to take advantage of future decarbonisation technologies as they mature.

“We are excited about the potential of this technology to drive shipping’s decarbonisation ambitions and meet IMO 2050 objectives.”

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