Liquefied natural gas carriers

Abstract

Global energy demand is rising as the world’s population is growing. Various forecasts predict that by 2050, there could be 2.5 billion more humans than today, who would use twice the energy consumed today. Energy companies are examining all possible sources of energy as part of their widening portfolio. Natural gas (NG) is an abundant resource that is still relatively a newer source for exploitation. With improving technology, NG can be an alternative fuel to generate electricity with operating costs comparable to coal or nuclear energy sources. Liquefaction of NG is an important part of the process, as liquefied natural gas (LNG) is compact and can be transported with special-purpose carrier vessels. Large offshore gas fields call for floating LNG (FLNG) terminals, which are capital and technology intensive. Various aspects of FLNG technology are being researched and developed currently. Notwithstanding this, companies are developing and deploying FLNG solutions based on past experience and proprietary technology. This chapter of the handbook deals with various aspects of LNG, design of carriers and especially the cargo holds, environmental and design challenges of these carriers and FLNG.