LR and K Shipbuilding to develop ethanol-capable tanker

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has partnered with South Korean shipbuilder K Shipbuilding to develop a 50,000 dwt medium-range (MR) tanker capable of running on ethanol.

IMAGE: Illustration of ethanol-capable MR tanker. ENGINE via ChatGPT

The joint project will examine the vessel’s technical feasibility, safety and regulatory compliance, with the aim of securing Approval in Principle (AiP) from LR. The partners intend to develop a commercially competitive design for the global product tanker market.

Under the agreement, LR will conduct technical reviews covering the vessel’s general arrangement, stability, structural requirements and integration of ethanol fuel tanks. K Shipbuilding will lead the vessel’s overall design and development.

“Ethanol is already a familiar cargo across the product tanker trades, which makes the MR segment a practical place to assess it as a fuel,” said Theo Kourmpelis, LR’s global business director for tankers.

By Tuhin Roy

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