HHI orders ALS compressors for Pan Ocean vessels

26 April 2022 – Hyundai Heavy Industries has contracted TMC Compressors (TMC) to deliver marine air lubrication system (ALS) compressors to three LNG carriers the Korean shipbuilder is constructing for Pan Ocean.

Korean shipowner Pan Ocean has ordered three LNG carriers from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). Each vessel will be equipped with HHI’s self-developed Hi-ALS air lubrication system.

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 frequency-controlled marine compressors for use in combination with air lubrication systems to help ships further reduce fuel consumption and emissions to air.

Each of three LNG carriers will be equipped with three ALS compressors from TMC, in total nine units. The ALS compressors will then be coupled with HHI’s Hi-ALS system.

“ALS is about reducing fuel consumption, energy costs and emissions to air. It is a great way of reducing the shipping industry’s environmental footprint while also reducing shipowners’ opex,” says Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.

Air lubrication compressors saves fuel 

TMC’s frequency-controlled ALS compressors also offer fuel savings compared to conventional compressors. As the frequency-controlled technology offers precise control of the compressor speed, the speed of the electrical motor will adjust itself according to what is required to produce the exact air volume necessary to meet the actual compressed air consumption at all time. In turn, lower air consumption requires less speed on the compressor and this directly results in less power consumption.

“We have supplied several ALS compressors to HHI in the past two years, but so far we have only seen the tip of the iceberg for the adoption of ALS technologies,” adds Hans Petter Tanum.

The equipment will be manufactured in Scandinavia and shipped to Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea.

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.