Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has successfully developed the industry’s first membrane-type cargo hold for LNG tankers. The hold is[ds_preview] a tank containing LNG that is liquefied at -163 °C and is a critical part of an LNG tanker. In the past, all Korean shipbuilders manufacturing LNG tankers had to pay technology royalties, as a foreign company had the source technology. With the aim of achieving self-reliant cargo hold manufacturing, SHI has conducted joint research with KAIST since 2007, with the master and full design certified by major classification agencies, including Lloyd’s Register and ABS. The newly developed cargo hold was built with tech upgrades, including improved membrane forms, newly developed secondary barrier and super-insulating materials, in order to improve stability, gas tightness and efficiency in transportation.
