Shipping innovations and fleet expansion have strengthened Qatar's bold steps towards being the leader in the LNG field.
LNG shipping is on the cusp of a new era, with the ships which represented technological breakthroughs about to enter service. Advances in containment system design and propulsion mean that an industry once regarded as one of the most conservative branches of the maritime world is now reinventing itself as one of the most innovative.
In July, the first Q-Max carrier, the largest and most advanced carrier, was named by HH Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned as 'Mozah' at a ceremony held at Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje Island, Busan, South Korea.
Talking about this momentous event and the effects this will have on the shipping industry is Qatargas, Ship Manager, Abdullah Al Sulaiti says, "We are very proud of the 'Mozah' and she is very important to Qatargas as well as for the industry as a whole. The vessel sets a new standard for efficient operations, maximising cargo deliverability especially on long-haul voyages such as to the US."
Technological Breakthrough
The Q-Flex and the even larger QMax are a new generation of LNG megaships. The Q-Max has 80 percent more capacity than conventional LNG carriers with about 40 percent lower energy requirements due to the economies of scale created by their size and the efficiency of the engines.
Q-Max LNG carriers are unique, purpose built for Nakilat and will be on long-term charter to Qatargas.
The designers of Q-Flex and Q-Max ships have opted for a twin low-speed diesel engine/twin-screw arrangement.
This was seen as the optimum way to overcome the technical challenges posed by the use of a single propeller for such a large LNG carrier.
"With the vessels' more efficient twin diesel engines and on-board reliquefaction, they can deliver about 80 percent more cargo than a conventional carrier for about half the er unit cost."
Added Benefits
Besides the space-saving and redundancy advantages of the propulsion systems, the Q-Flex and Q-Max ships are preferred because of their greater thermal efficiency, i.e., approximately 45 percent as opposed to 30 percent for a steam turbine. The propulsion system called the dual-fuel diesel electric (DFDE) systems, also offers a reduction in fuel consumption of 30- 40 tonnes per day compared to steam turbines, though these lower costs need to offset against a higher initial cost for the technology. This also offers enhanced environmental performance through reduced carbon dioxide emissions and very low nitrogen oxide emissions.
"To date, Qatargas has received eight Q-Flex and one Q-Max vessel.
After deliveries of all of the vessels that have been ordered, Qatargas will have 20 Q-Flex and 12 Q-Max vessels.
These vessels, along with the 13 large LNG carriers that RasGas will have, will certainly bring us to a new era in LNG shipping," says Al Sulaiti, "The increased fuel efficiency and maximum delivery capability enabled by the state of the art on board reliquefaction unit and twin slow-speed diesel engines marks a step change in the industry, allowing for more efficient transportation and maximum product delivery to our customers,".
LNG and its benefits
LNG is one of the fastest growing energy markets worldwide. Given the number and scale of new LNG projects proposed or under construction, global production capacity could more than double by the end of the decade. According to the IEA, this growth will require a $250 billion investment in liquefaction plants, coastal regasi.cation import terminals, and special LNG tankers over the next 30 years.
Higher natural gas prices and growing efficiencies in the LNG value chain are making it economically feasible to ship LNG over long distances, transforming natural gas from a regional to a global market.
Al Sulaiti, agrees, "I'm not a marketer, but I think it's fair to say that the demand for LNG is expected to grow along with the demand for energy in general and LNG from Qatar will play an increasingly important role in meeting those demands. Being a clean burning fuel, it should be seen as having a positive environmental impact."
The Shipping Sector
The LNG shipping sector is blossoming with more players and more ships. But will this pave way for more flexible transport contracts in the future?
"Not necessarily. Though the number of vessels and players in the industry is expanding, the ships still support significant investments made on the upstream side of the business, like the reliquefaction trains, and as such, will still need to be secured by long-term contracts. I do think that there will be more spot cargo moves and diversion opportunities that may affect the overall supply/demand balance of ships and at any given time, and this may give rise to short-term transportation contracts. Given the nature of the LNG business, I just don't see LNG shipping contracts getting to where the oil and product tanker markets are, soon."
On further plans and innovations in this sector, he says, "From a shipping standpoint, the innovation occurred during the design phase of these ships, so for now we are simply focusing on gearing ourselves up for safe delivery of the rest of our new large LNG vessels and making sure that we can meet our customer's delivery requirements in a safe and efficient manner".
Qatar Today 2008
