Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Delivers First Small-to-Medium LNG Carrier

30,000㎥ Cargo Ship to Italy

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries, delivered the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier "Ravenna Knutsen (photo)" to the shipping company on the 10th for the first time. It is a 30,000㎥ class LNG carrier for Norway's Knutsen, and after recently signing the delivery ceremony, it departed for Italy on the same day.

This vessel attracted attention as the first small- to medium-sized LNG carrier ordered by a foreign shipping company from a domestic shipbuilder. It measures 180m in length, 28.4m in width, and 19.4m in height, capable of operating at a maximum speed of 15 knots, and is intended to supply LNG to Sardinia Island in Italy. Equipped with three cargo tanks, it can transport LNG at an ultra-low temperature of minus 163 degrees Celsius. The company explained that it meets environmental regulations while enhancing operational efficiency by using a dual-fuel propulsion system that can use naturally vaporized gas as fuel during navigation and a shaft generator system that produces and supplies electricity through the propulsion engine.

Until now, the LNG carrier market has been centered on large vessels of 160,000㎥ or more, but recently, with the increase in demand for LNG as an eco-friendly fuel and the expansion of infrastructure, interest in small- to medium-sized carriers has also grown. According to Clarkson, a shipbuilding and shipping market analysis agency, the order volume of small- to medium-sized LNG carriers, which averaged 5 to 6 vessels annually over the past five years, is expected to expand to an average of 20 vessels per year over the next five years starting from 2021.

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard has built more than 60 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, accumulating the highest performance in the industry. Following ethylene gas (LEG) carriers and LNG bunkering vessels, it has successfully delivered LNG carriers as well, earning a reputation for advanced technology in the small- to medium-sized gas carrier sector.

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard stated, "Through this LNG carrier construction, we can accelerate our strategy to diversify into high value-added ship types," adding, "We will develop eco-friendly new technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia-powered ships to pioneer future markets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.