State-of-the-art vessels are used to transport liquefies natural gas

 

LNG shipments are among the strongest and most technologically advanced.

These ships have an exemplary sailing history, having never suffered a major incident in over 60 years.

There are more than 550 such vessels worldwide and more than 100 are currently under construction. Almost 60% of these ships are less than 10 years old. Currently 154 LNG tankers are on order.

The LNG tankers that will use the Saguenay river

  • Number of vessels: 3 to 4 vessels per week
  • Ship frequency: 1 ship every 1.5 days, approximately
  • Capacity: around 178,000 m³
  • A double hull
  • Cargo transport: 4 to 5 insulated tanks to keep liquefied natural gas at -162 ° C
  • Pressure in the tanks: almost atmospheric
  • Length: about 297 meters
  • Width: about 49 meters
  • Height: about 50 meters
  • Propulsion: 2 propeller engines which are fueled by natural gas (LNG evaporation)
  • A cargo monitoring system
  • Sophisticated and efficient positioning, navigation and communication systems
  • A ballast water treatment system that meets IMO requirements and Canadian regulations.
  • Duplication of equipment operating completely independently, so as to ensure complete redundancy in the event of a failure.
  • Crew: 29 people, including 11 officers
A commitment to reduce underwater noise with custom designed vessels
 

GNL Quebec has made a commitment to build the ships that will be supplied to the Énergie Saguenay plant according to unique specifications in order to reduce underwater noise to a minimum. The results of this commitment will be demonstrated by the achievement of a "silent vessel" certification offered by the major naval classification societies. The ships will also be fueled with LNG to reduce GHG emissions.

Here are some examples of solutions confirmed for the project and which will reduce underwater noise:

  • Hull optimization (Fluid mechanics / hydrodynamics)
  • Lubrication of the hull by air bubbles
  • Double propeller counter-rotating propulsion
  • Maintenance / cleaning of the hull and propellers
  • Anti-fouling paint (non-toxic)


Other sound mitigation measures are currently being studied and will be until the construction of the ships to ensure that they are equipped with the most recent and efficient technologies. Let us note among others:

  • Electric motorization
  • Hybrid technology (batteries)
  • Resilient assembly of machinery
  • Acoustic enclosures around the machinery