HHI orders ALS compressors for five LNG vessels

10 June 2021 – Hyundai Heavy Industries has contracted TMC Compressors (TMC) to deliver marine air lubrication system (ALS) compressors to five LNG carriers the Korean shipbuilder is constructing for three different shipowners.

ALS – or air lubrication system – is a method used to reduce the resistance between the ship’s hull and seawater by using air bubbles. The air bubble distribution across the hull surface reduces the frictional resistance working on the ship’s hull, creating desired energy-saving effects.

TMC has developed a range of marine compressors for use in combination with air lubrication systems to help ships further reduce fuel consumption and emissions to air. For these five LNG carriers, TMC’s ALS compressors will be coupled with Hyundai Heavy Industries’ self-developed Hi-ALS air lubrication system on all five vessels.

According to Hyundai Heavy Industries, its Hi-ALS system can cut fuel consumption by up to eight percent.

“Combining our ALS compressors with Hyundai’s Hi-ALS air lubrication system is an excellent example of how the supplier industry can cooperate to make the shipping industry greener and reduce shipowners’ operating costs,” says Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.

TMC will supply three marine ALS compressors to each of the five newbuild LNG carriers, in total 15 ALS compressor units. TMC will also supply dedicated ALS control systems that are integrated in a specially designed control cabinet.

The equipment will be manufactured in Norway and shipped to Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea. The five newbuilds will be constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Korea.

The five LNG carriers will each have a cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic metres. Two of the vessels are for Norwegian shipowner Knutsen OAS, two for Korean shipowner SM KLCSM, while the final vessel is for an undisclosed shipowner. The five-vessel supply contract also includes options for delivery of TMC’s ALS compressors to further LNG newbuilds equipped with an ALS system.

In January last year, TMC was awarded a contract by Hyundai Heavy Industries to deliver its ALS compressors to seven (7) LNG carriers the Korean shipbuilder is constructing for Capital Gas Corp.

“To secure another such large order for our ALS compressors is the best stamp of approval we could have asked for. We are well aware of Hyundai’s strict quality requirements and look forward to deliver on those expectations for all five LNG carriers,” adds Hans Petter Tanum.

TMC offers compressors for ALS applications that ranges from 50 kW to 400 kW capacity, plus the associated ALS control system. The company is headquartered in Oslo and is the world’s leading supplier of compressed air systems for marine and offshore use.

ENDS

For media information, please contact:

Endre Aaberg Johansen, Corporate Communications AS, tel: +47 41 61 06 05, email: endre.johansen@corpcom.no.