South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering (DSME) and compatriot steel-making company POSCO have hit a new
milestone in their technological collaboration to build eco-friendly dual-fuel
propulsion vessels.
After more than 10 years of joint research with POSCO,
DSME applied high-manganese steel to LNG fuel tanks for the first time in the
global shipbuilding industry.
LNG
fuel tanks are the core equipment for eco-friendly dual-fuel ships.
On
16 June, DSME held a ceremony to install IMO Type-C LNG fuel tanks using
high-manganese steel on a very large crude oil carrier (VLCC).
Until now, materials such as Invar, aluminum and stainless steel
have been used for cargo holds and fuel tanks that withstand liquefied natural
gas at cryogenic conditions (-163℃).
However,
they had disadvantages such as high price, difficult fabrication process, and
low strength. The newly developed high manganese steel LNG fuel tank can
overcome these shortcomings. It has a lower price than conventional materials,
and has high strength and wear resistance as well as a good performance at
cryogenic temperatures.
For
this reason, high-manganese steel has been attracting attention from the
industry as the next generation material for LNG fuel tanks. Both companies
have been developing tank-related technologies together in the entire process
from pre-treatment, and welding to the use of high-manganese steel as LNG fuel
tanks.
Finally,
after processability verification and mass production, they succeeded in
installing it on board vessels. As a result, the two companies have established
Korea’s LNG fuel tank ecosystem focused on high-manganese steel to secure
national competitiveness in materials, parts and equipment industries.
Recently,
as eco-friendly policies such as carbon dioxide reduction are being
strengthened around the world, ships are also switching to LNG as fuel. In such
an environment, all ships ordered from DSME this year are eco-friendly ships
that use LNG as fuel.
In
addition, high-manganese steel LNG fuel tank manufacturing technology would be
valuable for the Korean shipbuilder as it is a purely domestic technology, DSME
explained.
In
the future, if price competitiveness is secured through mass production of high
manganese steel. What is more, technological independence will be possible in
the production of LNG cargo holds and the technology is evaluated as a great
stepping stone for strengthening the competitiveness of the Korean shipbuilding
industry.
“DSME … has set another milestone this time. We believe it will
lead to strengthening the competitiveness of the entire shipbuilding industry
in Korea because it can expand its use throughout the shipbuilding sector,” Park Du-Seon, president &
CEO of DSME, commented.
“We are … delighted by the successful mass production of high
manganese steel, which is a unique material of Korea, to LNG propulsion ships.
Finally, the supply chain of high-manganese steel LNG storage tanks, including
steel maker, shipbuilder and tank manufacturers, has been completed. I believe
this will play a big role in the future eco-friendly ship market,” Jong-kyo
Choi, executive vice president of POSCO, said.