The design and engineering of vessels for liquefied gas transport present unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in the evolving landscape of LCO2 shipping. In this guest contribution, Doris Matos and Riikka Cosgrave, freelance Strategic Communications and Marketing Specialist, explore how partnerships can drive innovation, optimise ship designs, and improve long-term reliability and durability in the maritime industry.
The design process of a vessel holds many challenges, and getting the first steps right often has an impact on how long a project will take and how successful it will be. In an economic environment where the costs for materials and services are ever increasing, it might seem a logical choice to save on costs from the start of the project. However, looking at industry success stories, it transpires that well thought-through projects with initial investments will lead to more efficient Capital Investment Costs (CAPEX) and reduced Operational Costs (OPEX).
So, how can companies get the best value out of their projects? The key is choosing a trusted and knowledgeable partner.
TGE Marine Gas Engineering GmbH (TGE Marine) is a German organisation with a presence in several countries. The organisation is owned by a Japanese company called Mitsui E&S in Japan. TGE Marine is most known for designing and engineering cargo handling systems and tanks for any type of liquefied gas carriers, bunker ships and FSRUs as well as fuel gas supply systems. This year, TGE Marine will celebrate 45 years in the industry and with a full 10 years of supplying the industry with Fuel Gas Supply systems. Deeply engrained in the company’s heart you will find passion for pushing past the status quo and finding new solutions while testing the limits. The passion for innovation is at the centre of TGE Marine’s work.
Working as a dedicated partner – at the forefront of LCO2 carriers with OCEOS
As part of their portfolio of products and services, including the delivery of the equipment for the first CO2 carriers for Northern Lights, TGE Marine also work as an advisory body to [potential] clients. Part of the offering in this capacity is conducting feasibility studies for ship designers or organisations looking to have a vessel built. The studies are carried out to ensure that a vessel design meets all the criteria set out by the different classification societies which govern the safety regulations for the industry. After a vessel has been designed, it will be granted an Approval in Principle (AiP), which indicates that a vessel’s design has taken into consideration a variety of aspects to ensure things such as safety, feasibility as well as any considerations for the environment.
TGE Marine has been involved in numerous studies and research projects, most of which were born out of project-specific collaboration with other companies in the industry. As a trusted partner to shipowners and ship designers, TGE Marine specifically prides itself in guiding clients through the undefined ways of new and evolving technologies and shipping methods, one of these being CO2 shipping.
©TGE Marine
One of TGE Marine’s most recent partners is OCEOS: an innovative joint venture between Air Liquide and Sogestran. OCEOS was founded in 2022, but the cooperation between Air Liquide and Sogestran has been ongoing since 2019. Mixing two industry backgrounds, namely industrial gases and shipping, under one roof brings with it a great expertise and desire to take designs to the next level. This has led OCEOS to develop a complete range of sea-going vessels (8000 m3 to 20000 m3) and inland barges (1000 m3 to 8000 m3) designed for the transport of liquid CO2.
TGE Marine and OCEOS started their cooperation on CO2 vessels in 2023, when OCEOS approached TGE Marine due to its technical expertise and proven track record in innovation and on gas carriers. “Large-scale maritime transport of CO2 is emerging as a key link in the CCUS ‘chain’ but is also new. So, developing robust and efficient solutions for transporting said CO2 by ship is key for this new industry,” explains OCEOS’ President and Co-Founder Fred Lockwood. TGE Marine’s Sales Director Jakob Nielsen adds, “with our technical knowledge thanks to over 250 delivered gas tankers and numerous studies, combined with OCEOS’ innovative mind-set and insight into the CO2 shipping market, its requirements and deep understanding of constraints related to the overall ship, it was clear from the start that this collaboration was an excellent match.”
Trust and innovation go hand in hand
The vision TGE Marine and OCEOS share is that trust and innovation need to go hand in hand as new industries such as CCUS take time to build and mature. A collaboration of any sort is therefore a longer-term commitment in which both partners have an important role to play: the common goal to build a LCO2 vessel. TGE Marine and OCEOS are using their high level of combined technical expertise to optimise their findings and ensure an unrivalled level of robustness in the solutions developed. ”Long-term industry changes cannot be driven by short-term business priorities,” states TGE Marine’s Jakob Nielsen, “We want to add value to the whole lifecycle of a vessel, not just the ship design process.”
One size does not fit all
TGE Marine is also involved in other ground-breaking studies and research projects for LCO2 carriers worldwide. Services include consulting studies ranging from advice on technical parameters in the design of cargo systems to optimised tank designs for cargo handling systems. When looking for a partner, shipowners should keep an eye out for an existing track record and a trustworthy reputation. A partner with a solid history of engineering and delivering projects as well as studies can utilise data from previous studies to complement new findings. Not only the shipowner benefits from this, but the whole industry.
The LCO2 shipping industry is still in an evolutionary phase of its lifecycle, and with just a few LCO2 carriers in operation, transporting CO2 for the food industry, there aren’t any operational vessels transporting industrial amounts of LCO2 for storage – yet.
©TGE Marine
The studies TGE Marine has conducted in this field are providing insights into how to treat and ship CO2, from an engineering perspective. This has been actively used in the development of the Northern Lights vessels. As the industry moves forward, the knowledge gained in these studies includes various feasibility aspects, ranging from selection of pressure, materials for tanks, possible maximum sizes of tanks, optimal tank sizes to vessel designs, considerations of shape of tanks, length, diameter, bilobe vs cylindrical, use of reliquefaction systems or not, possible cargos for a second life, to alternative trade and more
Choosing the right partner
A shipowner might have been given a specific design and needs advice on specific technical questions or other clarifications around the themes of gas transport, be it CO2, LPG, LNG or Ammonia related. The first meeting with TGE Marine would aim to identify the important parameters for designing a specific cargo system in the most efficient way, while considering both CAPEX and OPEX.
TGE Marine will then be able to advise on an optimal tank design for a specific vessel or trade (low or medium pressure) of LCO2, standalone tank designs only; considering specific requirements for sizes and volumes, or complete design studies, including an optimized tank design for the vessel and a cargo handling system that is the most suitable for the specific enquiry.
Selecting an experienced partner in vessel design can help ensure long-term adaptability and reliability. Especially in evolving industry segments it pays to do thorough viability checks, and partnering up with a company experienced in finding solutions minimises future risks – a well-oiled symbiotic relationship from start to finish.
