A CHALLENGE TO ADVANCED LNG TRANSPORT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY―LNG JAMAL: NEW LNG CARRIER WITH RELIQUEFACTION PLANT

摘要

An LNG carrier "LNG JAMAL" equipped with 5 Moss-type spherical tanks (capacity : abt.l35,000m3) is built for the Oman LNG Project involving Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., which is scheduled to start operating in November 2000. In order to establish the superiority of natural gas in the market among energy sources, there is strong demand for reducing LNG transportation costs. The new LNG carrier employs various new technologies, including the world's first on-board BOG reliquefaction plant, to realize low-cost, safe LNG transportation. This paper focuses on the reliquefaction plant onboard the LNG carrier. The report introduces the cost-effective features of the reliquefaction plant, based on which the installation was decided. For the reliquefaction process to be used, the Brayton cycle with N2 coolant was selected by comparing several cycles for their initial investment and running costs. The paper also describes the design concept, such as the system redundancy, related to the reliability of the reliquefaction plant as the BOG processing equipment that controls the tank pressure. By demonstrating that the reliquefaction plant can process all BOG generated during the voyage, it will help to find application in new propulsion systems for LNG carriers, such as diesel engines and other plants. The LNG JAMAL is a new generation LNG carrier that points to a new direction for future LNG carriers for the energy industry, in which competition is expected to intensify in the 21st century.