LNG carriers are a kind of offshore giants specializing in transporting liquefied natural gas, and its manufacturing difficulty and technical content can be called the "crown of shipbuilding". The ** of the LNG ship is also very expensive, one costs 2$200 million, but in the context of the global energy crisis, it is in short supply.
China used to lag behind South Korea and other countries in the manufacture of LNG ships, but after years of hard work and innovation, China not only broke the technological monopoly, but also developed the world's largest LNG ships and became the leader of LNG ships. The rise of Chinese-made LNG ships is an amazing miracle, and it is also a story that shows the strength and charm of China's manufacturing.
The full name of LNG carrier is liquefied natural gas carrier, which is used to liquefy natural gas at a low temperature of -163, and then transport it to the place where it is needed, and then reduce it to natural gas through the process of regasification. LNG ships are equivalent to "mobile cold storage trucks" at sea, which can reduce the volume of natural gas by 600 times, greatly reducing transportation costs and risks.
Natural gas is a clean, efficient and low-carbon energy source, and its reserves and consumption occupy an important position in the global energy source. With the growing global demand for energy and the emphasis on environmental protection, the role of natural gas is becoming more and more prominent. However, the distribution and consumption of natural gas are uneven, and many countries and regions need to import natural gas from afar, and LNG ships are the bridge connecting supply and demand.
The manufacture of LNG ships is a challenging undertaking that requires a high level of technology and craftsmanship, as well as a huge investment. The core component of the LNG ship is the LNG tank, which is a special cryogenic storage tank, which needs to have high strength, high sealing, high stability and high safety. There are many forms of LNG cabins, such as independent spherical, membrane, independent angle, etc., each of which has its advantages, disadvantages and scope of application. The material of the LNG chamber is also very particular, and a special alloy called "invar steel" is used, which has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and can withstand the stress caused by low temperatures. Welding of LNG chambers is also an advanced technique that requires precise control of temperature, pressure and time, as well as professional welders and equipment.
The construction of LNG ships should not only consider the performance of the LNG tank, but also consider the structure, stability, speed, sailing performance, safety and other factors of the hull. The design and construction of LNG ships requires a combination of multidisciplinary knowledge and experience, and is a systematic project. The manufacturing cycle of LNG ships is also very long, generally taking 3-4 years, and it requires large docks and facilities. The cost of manufacturing LNG ships is also high, the ** of an LNG ship is equivalent to half of an aircraft carrier, and 5-6 times that of an ordinary tanker.
China has experienced a development process from scratch and from following to leading in the manufacture of LNG ships. The history of LNG ship manufacturing in China can be divided into three stages:
This stage is the initial stage of China's LNG ship manufacturing, mainly through cooperation with foreign countries, learning and introducing LNG ship technology and experience, and laying the foundation for subsequent independent development.
In 1990, China received an order for the first LNG ship, which was built by Shanghai Hudong Shipyard, using the membrane type LNG cabin technology of the French company GTT, with the name "Dalian" and a capacity of 1380,000 cubic meters, delivered in 1994. This is China's first and only LNG ship with a membrane type LNG tank, and it is also China's first contact with the manufacture of LNG ships.
In 1996, China received an order for a second LNG ship, which was built by Guangzhou CSSC Changxingdao Shipyard, using the independent spherical LNG cabin technology of the Norwegian company MOSS, with the ship named "Guangzhou" and a capacity of 1480,000 cubic meters, delivered in 2000. This is China's first and only LNG ship with an independent spherical LNG tank, and it is also the first time that China has come into contact with the manufacture of an independent spherical LNG tank.
In 2002, China began an order for a third LNG ship, which was built by Shanghai Hudong Shipyard, using the SPB type LNG tank technology of the Japanese company IHI, with the ship named "Shanghai" and a capacity of 1460,000 cubic meters, delivered in 2005. This is China's first and only LNG ship with SPB-type LNG tanks, and it is also the first time that China has been in contact with the manufacture of SPB-type LNG tanks.
At this stage, through cooperation with foreign countries, China has mastered the manufacturing technology of three different types of LNG tanks, accumulated experience in the design and construction of LNG ships, and laid the foundation for subsequent independent innovation. However, at this stage, China's LNG ship manufacturing is still at the level of following and imitation, and has not formed its own characteristics and advantages, nor has it formed a large-scale production capacity, but only occupies a place in the international market.
This stage is the development stage of China's LNG ship manufacturing, mainly through independent innovation, breaking through technical difficulties, improving product quality and performance, and laying the foundation for the subsequent leading position.
In 2006, China started an order for the fourth LNG ship, which was built by Shanghai Hudong Shipyard, using China's self-developed C-type independent LNG tank technology, named "Xinjiang", with a capacity of 1460,000 cubic meters, delivered in 2008. This is China's first and only LNG ship with C-type independent LNG tank, and it is also the first LNG ship in China to use self-developed LNG tank technology.
This stage is the leading stage of China's LNG ship manufacturing, mainly through innovation and optimization, to enhance product competitiveness and market share, laying the foundation for the subsequent global leadership.
In 2016, China started an order for the fifth LNG ship, which was built by Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, using China's self-developed A-type independent LNG tank technology, named "Huaneng", with a capacity of 1760,000 cubic meters, delivered in 2018. This is China's first and only LNG ship with A-type independent LNG tank, and it is also the first LNG ship in China to use self-developed large LNG carrier technology.
Type A independent LNG cabin is an innovative LNG cabin in China that has optimized its structure and improved performance on the basis of Type C independent LNG cabin, and has the following characteristics:
The shape of the cabin is oval, which is more compatible with the hull structure, which improves the space utilization rate and stability of the cabin;
The cabin material is 9% nickel steel, which has high strength, high toughness, high corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, and can adapt to extremely low temperature working environment;
The interior of the cabin adopts a multi-layer composite material heat breaker, which effectively reduces the evaporation rate and heat loss of LNG.
The exterior of the cabin is designed with a secondary wall to increase the safety and reliability of the LNG ship.
The R&D and application of Type A independent LNG tanks marks China's breakthrough and leadership in LNG ship technology, and also opens the door to the international LNG ship market for China. 1
In 2017, China started an order for the sixth LNG ship, which was built by the Changxingdao Shipyard of China Shipbuilding Corporation in Guangzhou, using the NO96 membrane LNG tank technology of the French company GTT, with the name "Guangdong" and a capacity of 1740,000 cubic meters for delivery in 2019. This is China's first and only LNG ship using NO96 membrane LNG tank, and it is also the first LNG ship in China to use international advanced membrane LNG tank technology.
The NO96 membrane LNG cabin is the latest type of LNG cabin that has been improved and upgraded on the basis of the NO series by the French GTT company, and has the following characteristics:
The film material is Yin tile steel, which has high strength, high sealing, high corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, and can adapt to the working environment at extremely low temperatures;
The membrane structure is a double-layer membrane, the main membrane is supported by the main insulation layer and the secondary insulation layer, and the secondary membrane is supported by the hull structure, which improves the stability and safety of the LNG tank.
The insulation layer adopts multi-layer composite materials, which effectively reduces the evaporation rate and heat loss of LNG.
The hull is constructed with a double shell, which increases the safety and reliability of the LNG vessel.
The introduction and application of NO96 membrane LNG tanks marks China's learning and reference in LNG ship technology, and also improves the competitiveness of China's international LNG ship market. 2
In 2018, China started an order for a seventh LNG ship, which was built by Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, using China's self-developed B-type independent LNG tank technology, named "Huadian", with a capacity of 1750,000 cubic meters for delivery in 2020. This is China's first and only LNG ship with B-type independent LNG tank, and it is also the first LNG ship in China to use self-developed icebreaking LNG ship technology.
Type B independent LNG cabin is an innovative LNG cabin in China that has optimized the structure and improved performance on the basis of Type A independent LNG cabin, and has the following characteristics:
The shape of the cabin is cylindrical, which is more compatible with the hull structure, which improves the space utilization rate and stability of the cabin;
The cabin material is 9% nickel steel, which has high strength, high toughness, high corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, and can adapt to extremely low temperature working environment;
The interior of the cabin adopts a multi-layer composite material heat breaker, which effectively reduces the evaporation rate and heat loss of LNG.
The exterior of the cabin is designed with a secondary wall to increase the safety and reliability of the LNG ship.
The hull adopts the icebreaker type, which has strong icebreaking ability, and is able to sail freely in the ice layer in the polar region, expanding the transportation range of LNG ships.
The R&D and application of Type B independent LNG tanks marks China's innovation and leadership in LNG ship technology, and also opens up a new field for China in the international LNG ship market. 3
At this stage, China has mastered the manufacturing technology of various types of LNG tanks through independent innovation and import and digestion, which has improved the quality and performance of LNG ships, and laid the foundation for the subsequent global leadership.