HYUNDAI SAMHO HEAVY INDUSTRIES (HSHI) is strengthening its competitiveness in the eco-friendly shipbuilding market by applying ships equipped with engines and related equipment that use LNG as the fuel for the first time in the world to large commercial vessel.

HSHI launched the first of LNG-powered aframaxes ordered from Russia's biggest shipowner Sovcomflot. The vessel named “Gagarin" was successfully launched on May 4.

This vessel, 250m long, 44m wide and 21m deep, is the first of six LNG propelled tankers and will be delivered to the shipowner in mid-July after commissioning in June.

HSHI is constructing this ship by complying with the IGF CODE (International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels) and the regulations of the Russian classifications.

In the meantime, the LNG propulsion system has been mainly applied to small and medium sized vessels such as coastal vessels in some developed countries, but this is the first time that it has been applied to large vessels of aframax class or above.

In particular, HSHI has developed and successfully fitted the ship with fuel gas tank, fuel gas supply system and dual fuel engine.

HSHI will deliver the remaining five vessels sequentially until the first half of next year, starting with the first ship in July.

An official from HSHI said, "As the environmental regulations of the IMO (International Maritime Organization) are being strengthened and the emission control area is steadily expanding, there is no doubt that the advanced competitiveness of eco-friendly vessels will bring more future workloads to the yard.