Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. has contracted TMC Compressors (TMC) to supply the global shipping market’s most energy efficient marine compressed air system to six LPG carriers the yard is building for LPG shipping company Petredec.
Under the agreement, TMC will supply a complete marine compressed air system, including two frequency controlled Smart Air compressors and a desiccant air dryer, to each of the six 93,000 cbm LPG carriers. TMC’s contract value is undisclosed.
TMC’s Smart Air compressors can offer up to 50 percent energy saving compared to conventional compressors.
“These six vessels have very strong green credentials. To have our Smart Air compressors associated with shipowners and yards that invest to make their vessels as environmentally friendly as possible is of strategic importance to us,” says Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.
The six LPG carriers will be equipped with dual fuel LPG propulsion. They will be of Jiangnan’s Panda Class 93k cbm design with patented ‘brilliance technology’ to improve hull efficiency and lower consumption. The vessels will also be fitted with a shaft generator to utilise LPG to provide the auxiliary power at sea, further enhancing their green credentials.
Hans Petter Tanum
TMC’s Smart Air compressors are based on a frequency-controlled technology that offers precise control of the compressor speed. Simply explained: 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.
“Reduce energy consumption and you also cut operating cost and harmful emissions to air. It is easy to understand but often complex to achieve. We cracked this code several decades ago and contracts such as this makes our sustainability efforts feel even more worthwhile,” adds Hans Petter Tanum.
With a fleet of 21 Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC) on the water, Petredec is the world’s second largest owner of VLGCs.
TMC is a global supplier of compressed air systems for marine and offshore use. The company is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.
Source: TMC Compressors