South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries has contracted Norwegian firm TMC Compressors to supply marine air lubrication system compressors to five LNG carriers.
TMC said in a statement on Thursday it would supply three marine ALS compressors to each of the five newbuild LNG carriers.
In addition, the Oslo-based firm will also deliver dedicated ALS control systems.
The five LNG carriers will each have a cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic metres.
HHI and Hyundai Samho are building two of the vessels for Norwegian shipowner Knutsen OAS, two for Korean shipowner SM KLCSM, while the final vessel is for an undisclosed shipowner, according to TMC.
The five-vessel supply contract also includes options for delivery of TMC’s ALS compressors to further LNG newbuilds equipped with an ALS system, it said.
ALS, or air lubrication system, reduces the resistance between the ship’s hull and seawater by using air bubbles.
The air bubble distribution across the hull surface slashes the frictional resistance working on the ship’s hull, creating desired energy-saving effects, according to TMC.
For these five LNG carriers, TMC’s ALS compressors will be coupled with HHI’s Hi-ALS air lubrication system on all five vessels.
According to HHI, its Hi-ALS system can cut fuel consumption by up to eight percent.