【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】From 2003 to 2022, Nantong CIMC Pacific Offshore successfully developed and manufactured domestic high-manganese steel LNG storage tanks
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2022-10-25 08:37. Watch the ten-year development of chemical processing equipment; praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. Replies are rewarded; discussions are welcome. ------------------------------------------- Large LNG fuel storage tanks are key components for environmentally friendly fuel-powered ships as well as for the entire LNG industry chain. They require extremely strict technical standards and are costly to manufacture. LNG is typically stored and transported under ultra-low temperature conditions of -163°C. The International Code for Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases specifies four types of low-temperature materials that can be used in the construction of LNG vessels, including aluminum alloy steel, austenitic stainless steel, austenitic Fe-Ni alloy steel (also known as Invar steel), and 9%Ni steel; currently, 9Ni steel is the most commonly used material for storage tanks on LNG ships. However, the disadvantages include high costs, complicated processing procedures, relatively low strength, and a high nickel content in the material. With nickel prices soaring in recent years, the production costs of these products have increased significantly; therefore, it is imperative to develop new materials and new manufacturing processes. The newly developed LNG-grade low-temperature material, high-manganese steel, is a pure austenitic alloy steel with a manganese content of 22–25% and no nickel content. It possesses excellent low-temperature toughness, as well as high ductility and strength; compared to the 9Ni steel currently used in LNG carrier tanks, it offers greater economic benefits. Therefore, the application of high-manganese steel holds significant practical value for LNG shipbuilding companies in reducing production costs and enhancing their market competitiveness. Once the barriers to basic research and development as well as the actual construction technologies are overcome, and mass production of LNG storage tanks becomes possible, both shipbuilders and shipowners will achieve a win-win outcome! Nantong CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (referred to as “CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering” or “CIMC SOE”) is an international engineering company focused on the transportation and storage of liquefied gas in the offshore oil and gas industry. It specializes in the manufacturing of liquefied gas carriers, liquid cargo systems, and other high-end marine equipment, and possesses extensive experience in the design and manufacture of independent C-type single-tank, double-tank, and three-valve tanks.
CIMC Pacific Offshore has been collaborating with Pohang since 2016 to study the hot and cold working properties as well as welding properties of South Korean high-manganese steel plates and welding materials; however, due to various reasons, including technical restrictions imposed by South Korea that prevented the export of such materials, the research was terminated. Meanwhile, steel companies in our country such as Nanjing Iron and Steel Group, Anshan Iron and Steel Group, Wugang Iron and Steel Group, and Shougang, along with relevant research institutions including the Iron and Steel Research Institute, the 725 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Atlantic, Wuhan Tie Mao, and Kunshan Jingqun, have all embarked on research and development work related to high-manganese steel materials. After the successful development of domestic high-manganese steel and welding materials, CIMC SOE has collaborated with Shougang, Wugang, Sichuan Atlantic, the 725 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Wuhan Tieao, and others. Starting from the technical requirements and construction challenges associated with actual product manufacturing, it conducted comparative tests on steel plates and welding materials, completed evaluations of welding processes, and successfully overcame the challenges related to cold processing for achieving large deformation rates in the sample tanks, as well as issues related to welding, hydrostatic testing, and cold tank testing. CIMC Pacific Offshore successfully completed the fabrication of two sample tanks of different sizes, 9 cubic meters and 25 cubic meters, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and carried out tests throughout the process, thereby gaining valuable experience in the design and construction of high-manganese steel materials. During this research period, several classification societies and shipowners witnessed the entire process and gave positive evaluations.
On October 13, 2022, Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea named two LNG-powered very large crude carriers (VLCCs) at the same time. These were the world’s first VLCCs equipped with LNG fuel tanks made from high-manganese steel developed independently by South Korea, marking another new milestone for Hyundai Heavy Industries in the field of environmentally friendly ships. Ms. Gulsun Nazli Karamehmet Williams, President of the Turkish shipowner Advantage Tankers, served as the ‘godmother’ at the naming ceremony and named the two ships ‘Advantage Verdict’ and ‘Advantage Victory’ respectively. Park Doo-son, president of Daewoo Shipbuilding, who attended the naming ceremony on that day, said, “The world’s first dual-fuel-powered VLCC equipped with LNG fuel tanks made of high-manganese steel once again demonstrates Daewoo Shipbuilding’s competitive expertise in building environmentally friendly ships.” Through continuous research and development, the company will make every effort to maintain an overwhelming level of technical expertise. ” It is understood that large LNG fuel tanks are the core components of environmentally friendly fuel-powered ships as well as the entire LNG industry chain. The technical requirements for such tanks are extremely strict, and they are also costly, accounting for about 30% of the total cost of a ship’s propulsion system. LNG is typically stored and transported in ultra-low temperature conditions of minus 163°C. Previously, nickel alloy steel (9%Ni), aluminum alloys, stainless steel, and similar materials were mainly used as the primary materials for LNG cargo tanks and fuel storage tanks. Among them, 9% nickel steel is the most commonly used steel grade in the manufacture of LNG storage tanks at present. However, the disadvantages of these materials are their high cost, complicated processing procedures, and low strength, which limits their application. Furthermore, if the product contains a high amount of the expensive nickel, its cost will increase significantly. Manganese steel refers to an alloy steel with a manganese content as high as 11–14%. The world has abundant manganese resources, and the price of high-manganese steel is also more competitive compared to 9% nickel steel. It not only maintains ideal performance at ultra-low temperatures of minus 196 degrees Celsius, but also boasts high strength and excellent wear resistance. As a result, high-manganese steel has attracted considerable attention as a next-generation material for LNG fuel storage tanks. Major shipbuilding companies and steel manufacturers around the world are engaged in fierce competition to gain a share of this market. According to International Ship Network, the high-manganese steel LNG fuel tank technology was developed through more than 10 years of joint research by Daewoo Shipbuilding and POSCO. To use high-manganese steel in the production of LNG fuel tanks, Daewoo Shipbuilding and POSCO jointly developed tank manufacturing technologies ranging from pretreatment to welding. Through this measure, a Korean LNG fuel tank ecosystem centered on high-manganese steel was established, ensuring **competitiveness**. As early as November 2010, Daewoo Shipbuilding, together with POSCO and the world’s five major classification societies – ABS, BV, DNV, KR, and LR – launched a project titled \"Joint Development of High-Manganese Steel and Welding Materials for Ultra-Low Temperatures.\" The goal of this project was to accelerate the development of high-manganese steel. After years of effort, the technical barriers were finally overcome; in 2013, the world’s first thick plates made of low-temperature high-manganese steel specifically for LNG storage tanks were introduced, and mass production began in 2015.
Previously, the only ship to use POSCO’s high-manganese steel LNG fuel tanks was the 50,000-ton bulk carrier \"Green Iris\" built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and delivered to POSCO in 2018. The ship is equipped with a C-type LNG fuel tank made of austenitic high-manganese steel, a type specifically designed by POSCO for the storage of low-temperature LNG and liquefied gases, with a storage capacity of 500 cubic meters. Furthermore, the German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd ordered 6 LNG-powered 23,500 TEU ultra-large container ships from Daewoo Shipbuilding in December 2020. This type of container ship features an innovative design, equipped with 18,000 cubic meter B-type LNG fuel tanks made of high-manganese steel. Thanks to the use of this new type of fuel tank material, each ship can save between 2 and 3 million dollars in costs. The first ship of this series will be delivered on April 30, 2023, and at that time it will become the world’s first ultra-large container ship to use manganese steel LNG fuel tanks. For South Korea’s shipbuilding industry, choosing high-manganese steel LNG fuel tanks can also save on patent technology fees paid to overseas engineering companies. To date, most LNG-powered ships built by South Korean shipbuilders have used membrane-type fuel tanks developed by the French engineering company GTT, and they have had to pay licensing fees to GTT for this. According to predictions by POSCO’s Business Research Institute in South Korea, the size of the global LNG-powered ship construction market is set to increase from 20 trillion won (approximately 17.9 billion dollars) in 2021 to 130 trillion won (approximately 116.4 billion dollars) by 2026, representing a growth of more than six times. By 2030, 60% of the ships built in South Korea will be LNG-powered. Industry experts in the international shipping sector predict that over the next 10 years, the global market demand for ships such as LNG carriers, LNG-powered vessels, and LNG refueling ships will exceed 3,000 units. South Korean industry insiders say that demand for LNG-powered ships is expected to increase significantly in the future. In the future, South Korea will not only maintain price competitiveness in this field but may also achieve self-sufficiency in LNG tank manufacturing technology. It is reported that while working together to accelerate the development of manufacturing technologies for high-manganese steel LNG fuel tanks, the South Korean industry also plans to expand its business into the market for storage tanks for environmentally friendly alternative fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol.
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