Delegates attended this conference to learn about technologies and methods which can help achieve best practise and continuous improvement in the LNG Shipping industry. We believe this was the first conference dedicated to technical LNG shipping issues which has ever been held.

The conference covered the latest technology and techniques for LNG Shipping, including new vessel designs, development of LNG vessels for the Arctic, new LNG tank gauging technology, propulsion technology and re-liquifing LNG which has vapourised.

A highlight was Kishore Rajvanshy, managing director Fleet Management and Douglas Lang, managing director of Anglo Eastern Crew Management, giving his advice about how to optimise management of maintenance, crew and operations with LNG vessels.

8.30 Registration

9.30 Chairman’s opening remarks: Hans-Jacob Gjerpen, Marine business development manager, Lloyd's Register EMEA

Hans-Jacob Gjerpen is marine business development manager Nordic with Lloyd's Register. Lloyd's Register probably classifies more LNG vessels than any other class society and is actively developing its business in this sector. It was the first classification society to join the International LNG Alliance (ILNGA), a broad-based strategic alliance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) interests that works together to promote and advance the safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sound use of LNG and the development of LNG infrastructure.

LNG Market

9.40 Future technological challenges in LNG shipping.
Dr Trym Tveitnes, commercial manager, floating midstream solutions, HÖEGH LNG

Höegh LNG is dedicated to stay at the frontier of LNG shipping through development of new concepts for LNG transportation and offshore terminals.

In the Neptune deep water port project under development offshore Boston in collaboration with Suez, technology developed by Höegh LNG will be applied to solve New England’s increasing demand for natural gas in an economically viable and environmentally friendly way. The concept applied for Neptune, and other LNG terminal and shuttling concepts within the portfolio of Höegh LNG, is presented together with a glance at the technological and operational challenges associated with the application of these concepts in potential market areas.

Dr Trym Tveitnes is commercial manager, floating midstream solutions, Höegh LNG. He holds a PhD in hydrodynamics from University of Glasgow, and came to Höegh LNG from a position as senior engineer at Det Norske Veritas. Höegh LNG, a pioneer in LNG transportation with over 30 years experience, operates a fleet of four LNG carriers and is taking delivery of two newbuildings in 2006 from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, to be under charters to Statoil and Total in connection with the Snøhvit Project at Melkøya in Hammerfest. The Floating Midstream Solutions department is developing and commercialising new concepts within sea-borne transportation/terminaling of natural gas, such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) carriers, Floating Storage and Regasification Units and Shuttle and Regasification Vessel.

10.10 - Questions and answers - Dr Trym Tveitnes

Shipbuilding and design

10.20 Structural and containment system design aspects of large membrane LNG ships
Jim MacDonald, principal surveyor, tanker & gas ship section, Lloyd's Register EMEA

The first order for large LNG ships of capacity greater than 200,000m3 has been placed, and it appears likely that further orders will be made for ships up to 250,000m3 in the not-too-distant future. This paper looks at the aspects of design which need to be given particular attention for these large ships and identifies those which are likely to prove critical.

Jim MacDonald started his career in 1969 as a student apprentice with Swan Hunters in the North East of England. After gaining his B.Sc in Naval Architecture at Newcastle University, he continued with Swan Hunters working in the design office until 1976. From 1976 until 1983 (except for a brief foray into nuclear power design in 1980) he worked for Ocean Fleets and then Worldwide Shipping mainly as a newbuilding superintendent at shipyards in Germany and Japan on container ships, bulk carriers and products tankers. He joined Lloyd’s Register as a ship surveyor in Japan in 1984, transferred on to the quality assurance department in London in 1985, and moved on to hull structural plan approval in 1990. Jim was appointed Section Leader of the Gas Ship Section in 1995 and has continued to be responsible for that sector in London during the expansion of the LNG fleet through to the present day.

10.50 Arctic LNG carrier development work and potential, and new LNG carrier technology
Kimmo Juurmaa, head of the Arctic Technology Unit - MARC, Aker Finnyards Kimmo Juurmaa is head of the Aker Arctic Technology Unit (AARC), Aker Finnyards. It operates yards in Helsinki, Rauma and Turku. 60% of the world’s ice breakers have been built by the company.

11.20 Coffee

11.45 Tank gauging
Tomas Åkerström, technical manager, Saab Rosemont

A brief background is given on the traditional technologies to measure LNG tank levels for the Custody Transfer of volumes from ships. References to current international and de-facto standards are given, and with the driving force to overcome the evident drawbacks and deficiencies of these systems it is shown the apparent benefits of radar technology for this purpose. The impact on the current LNG fleet and today’s statistics for how new-buildings are equipped are shown, as well as ample of installation examples. New challenges for CTMS gauging/reporting are mentioned; e.g. varying contracts from port to port (spot trading requirements), partial discharges, offshore discharges.

Tomas Åkerström is technical manager, Saab Rosemont, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tanker radar gauging equipment. He has an MSc EE from Chalmers University of Technology and has since 1980 held various positions in Saab Marine Electronics AB, Sweden. Since 1996 he actively participated in the introduction of radar tank gauging and CTMS for LNG tankers.

12.15 Panel Discussion: Jim MacDonald, principal surveyor, tanker & gas ship section, Lloyd's Register EMEA; Kimmo Juurmaa, head of the Arctic Technology Unit - MARC, Aker Finnyards; Tomas Åkerström, technical manager, Saab Rosemont

12.40 Lunch

LNG Technical issues and technical management

1.40 Technical management of LNG tankers
Kishore Rajvanshy, managing director Fleet Management

In the value chain of LNG, shipping is a critical element. The contracts are typically from 5 to 25 years and the reliability factor of the shipping element over the years can either enhance this value or erode it. The technical management of LNG ships is no rocket science, "It is a mind set. It's about a culture of ensuring 100% reliability and zero incident tolerance".

Kishore Rajvanshy is managing director and the founder of Fleet Management of Hong Kong, which manages over 100 vessels. Under his control Fleet Management has grown from one vessel to over 100 vessels with in a short period of 10 years. Fleet Management was also awarded Best Ship Manager in 2004 by Lloyds List Maritime Asia. He is a mechanical engineer and was previously a chief engineer with the Shipping Corporation of India, and superintendent, subsequently general manager of a major Hong Kong ship manager.

2.10 - Questions for Kishore Rajvanshy, managing director Fleet Management

2.15 Diesel propulsion in LNG carriers - a review of options
Ole Grøne, MAN B&W Diesel.

Ole Grøne is Vice President of MAN B&W Diesel A/S for marketing and sales of two-stroke low speed engines. He has an MSc in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Denmark. MAN B&W claims to have the largest share of the world market for two- and four-stroke engines for ships of 2000 gross tons or more. Altogether it has approximately 6,700 employees worldwide

2.45 LNG reliquefaction and LNG regas
Tore Lunde, director of LNG, Hamworthy

Main topic will be LNG reliqufaction. How we qualified the technology by building the onshore LNG plant at Snurrevarden in Norway and how it has resulted in contracts for the QaterGAs LNG carriers. How the system is functioning and the benefits with the system compared with the traditional steam turbine driven LNG carriers. I will also mention some recent improvements on the system. For the regasification, I will only briefly describe the different systems we are working on (also the pilot test plant we are doing together with Hoegh LNG) and some of the benefts.

Tore Lunde is director of LNG, Hamworthy Gas Systems, which provides reliquefaction and regasification systems for LNG vessels, onshore LNG liquefaction plants and VOC recovery technology for shuttle tankers and onshore terminals. He joined Hamworthy in 2001.He has previously worked in major oil companies involved in several new field developments, gas sales negotiations and developments of LNG projects.

3.15 Panel discussion: Technical issues of LNG tankers. Ole Grøne, MAN B&W Diesel; Tore Lunde, director of LNG, Hamworthy; Kishore Rajvanshy, managing director Fleet Management

3.40 Break

LNG supply chains

4.10 Managing complexity
Frans Pieter Lindeboom, business development manager, TruEconomy Consulting

The customer base of the bulk shipping industry has seen big mergers and consolidations giving them tremendous market power. The bulk shipping industry has responded to these tendencies by consolidation, pooling, and new builds in order to increase their market power but also increase customer services regarding flexibility, reliability and efficiency.

We want to position the use of new developed business tools, developed for and currently used in the downstream Oil and Gas industry, as another solution. And how they can help the bulk shipping industry in optimising their operations dealing with higher competition and more demanding market.

Frans Pieter Lindeboom is business development manager, TruEconomy Consulting, which offers supply chain consultancy services. He has an MSc in chemical engineering and a Masters in Petroleum Engineering from the IFP school in Paris. He has and extensive supply chain experience at a major bulk logistics service provider and projects performed within TruEconomy. Currently mainly committed to bulk (marine) transportation and Oil and Gas industry, both on strategic studies and implementation of supply chain business Solutions.

4.40 Panel discussion: Frans Pieter Lindeboom, business development manager, TruEconomy Consulting; with Ad Vos, CTO, Network Optimum

Ad Vos is chief technology officer with supply chain consultancy Network Optimum. He has 28 years of experience in oil and gas, petro-chemicals, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. His work includes business model changes, investment analysis, demand network/supply chain design. He was recently responsible for the design, development and implementation of an end-to-end supply chain solution for the Hydrocarbon Downstream industry in a collaboration program between the global market leader in supply chain solutions.

17.00 Chairman’s closing remarks