Modular construction in the chemical industry and segmented construction for ships and offshore structures
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1. The modular construction in the chemical industry originates from the block construction methods used in offshore engineering. In reality, there’s little difficulty for shipbuilders in transitioning to the chemical industry. Moreover, shipbuilders have a natural advantage when it comes to the pre-outfitting rate. From my personal experience of transitioning from offshore engineering to the chemical sector, I believe shipyards can indeed expand their business into the chemical industry, as the underlying principles of modular and block construction are essentially the same in both fields. 2. At present, domestic chemical engineering design institutes are turning to overseas markets. However, these institutes have traditionally carried out projects on-site and lack experience in modular construction as well as experience working abroad; shipyards, on the other hand, have an advantage in this regard. Domestic chemical engineering design institutes could visit shipyards to learn about the concept of segmented construction (that is, modular construction for chemical applications), thereby enabling them to take on more projects. Shipyards are also willing to cooperate with these design institutes to achieve a win-win situation.
It is still somewhat difficult to integrate two industries from different sectors, as their implementation standards vary (ship classification society standards, chemical industry standards), with the chemical industry having higher requirements.
FPSO and FLNG represent a combination of the two: the main hull is classified by a classification society, while the topside follows chemical industry standards