French LNG containment giant GTT said it had secured contracts from two major European LNG shipowners to equip a total of three vessels with its new predictive maintenance solution.
GTT revealed these deals in a statement on Thursday, but it did not provide the names of the owners or the price tag of the deals.
Earlier this year, GTT received approval from classification society Lloyd’s Register for this digital solution (sloshing virtual sensor) aimed at optimizing LNG membrane tank maintenance.
The approval in principle followed extensive validation work carried out in close collaboration with Shell International Trading and Shipping (STASCO).
According to GTT, this digital technology assesses sloshing activity in order to extend the cargo tank entry period.
It uses the tank digital twin, designed by GTT, and the vessel’s real-time operational data to monitor the evolution of critical tank integrity parameters.
Combined with an appropriate risk analysis, the shipowners and the charterers are able to optimize the tank maintenance while complying with strict safety standards, improving operational flexibility and making “significant” cost savings, GTT said.
“Following the technical approval by the AiP, these contracts represent the commercial validation of the value that our customers see in the sloshing virtual sensor,” GTT’s chief Philippe Berterottière said in the statement.
“We are convinced that this technology will become an industry standard,” he said.