Triality - Presstogo

Triality
Taking the environmental and economic performance of VLCCs a great step forward

Contents
the triality vlcc 4
the green vlcc 6
lng as fuel 8
A ballast-free design 10
Using the low lng temperature to capture
cargo vapours that are otherwise lost 12
Using the low lng tempareture to cool
the scavenging air to main engines 14
is it possible to go green and be profitable? 16

“
A conventionAl vlcc is AlreAdy An energy efficient
cArgo cArrier. this project shows thAt performAnce
cAn be significAntly improved.
“

4 triAlity vlcc
The Triality VLCC
triality is an innovative concept
vlcc that fulfils three main
goals:
1. it is environmentally superior
to conventional vlccs
2. it has technically feasible
solutions
3. it is more economical than
conventional vlccs
the name triality reflects these
three main elements. triality is
defined as three united, “the
state of being three”.
triality is a vlcc that has the same operational range and capacities as
other vlccs. three most likely trading routes have been selected for our
study, all starting in the gulf. one is to the Us, one is to europe and one
is to china:
the triality concept consists of different elements. each has been compared
environmentally and economically with a base case which represents
a conventional vlcc. the first step was the introduction of lng as fuel in
a conventional vlcc. the main engine is a high pressure dual fuel ( gas or
oil fuel) two-stroke engine, while the generator engines are low pressure
dual fuel engines and the boilers are also multi fuel versions.
the next step was to introduce a ballast-free more v-shaped hull design in
addition to the lng propulsion. the limited draft leads to some changes to
the machinery configuration, and a two-propeller arrangement has been
chosen. finally a voc re-condensation system and the cooling of the main
engine scavenging air were added. each step makes the concept better
from both an economic and environmental point of view.

main dimensions: lpp= 351m, loa= 361m, b=70m, t (design, mean)= 21.6m, t (unloaded, mean) = 7.1m. speed= 15 knots/ 16.5 knots, 300 000 dwt.
block coefficient loaded: 0.6 and unloaded: 0.52.

6 triAlity vlcc
The green VLCC
each step in the evolution
from a conventional vlcc to
triality has an impact on energy
consumption and/or emissions
to air and discharges to sea. the
energy demand is reduced for
most of the steps, giving a total
25% reduction in yearly energy
consumption.
Relative change in energy consumption
compared to base case (% MJ)
Relative change in emissions
compared to base Case
CO2; 77%
NOx; 86%
Conventional + LNG
100%
SOx; 5%
Particles; 6%
VOC; 100%
Ballast water; 100%
CO2; 68%
V-shape + LNG
89%
NOx; 74%
SOx; 6%
Particles; 6%
Conventional + LNG V-Shape + LNG V-Shape + LNG + VOC Triality
the nox reduction given above is gained without adding any treatment
system. by adding a simple exhaust gas recirculation system for the main
engines a further reduction of at least 82% can be gained, fulfilling tier iii
emission requirements for ships built after 2016.
co2 emissions from triality compared with other transport alternatives,
based on imo figures published in 2008:
triality 3 g/tonkm
heavy truck with trailer 50 g/tonkm
Air freight 540 g/tonkm
cargo vessel >8 000 dwt 15 g/tonkm
V-shape + LNG + VOC
77%
CO2; 68%
NOx; 74%
SOx; 6%
Particles; 6%
VOC; 0%
Triality - V-shape LNG
VOC + CoolAir
75%
CO2; 66%
NOx; 71%
SOx; 6%
Particles; 6%
VOC; 0%

triality has the same cargo capacity
and operational range as a conventional
vlcc, but emits 34% less co2

8 triAlity vlcc
LNG as fuel
lng as fuel is a proven concept
for short sea shipping. now this
alternative is being developed for
full-scale deep-sea shipping.
lng is used for propulsion, power and steam production (instead of hfo).
triality will have twin high pressure dual fuel two-stroke main engines
using marine gas oil (mgo) as pilot fuel, low pressure dual fuel generator
engines using mgo as pilot fuel and a triple fuel boiler that can burn
natural gas, mgo and volatile organic compounds (vocs = hydrocarbon
vapours recovered from the cargo tank atmosphere). two pressure tanks
(imo type c), each of 6 750 m 3 volume, will be located in deck houses
in front of the superstructure on the main deck. the lng tanks are kept
at a pressure of 5-6 bar by the use of pressure build up heat exchangers.
this is sufficient to supply lng to the high pressure pumps for the twostroke
main engines without using submerged pumps. pumping lng to a
high pressure is much more efficient than using compressors to create an
equally high pressure.
the lng fuel tank pressure is sufficient to supply lng through the low
pressure vaporizers and to the auxiliary engines and boilers without the
use of pumps. A submerged pump is, however, included in each tank.
this can be used to pump lng out of the tank should the tank pressure
be too low.
lng export terminals are located relatively close to important crude oil
terminals in the gulf area. making lng available as fuel should therefore
be a realistic possibility.
the lng volume stored on board triality is sufficient for a range of 25 000
nautical miles, so that bunkering in the gulf can provide enough fuel for
even the longest round trips. this is standard practice for conventional
vlccs today. lng terminals are also close to crude oil import terminals
visited on our chosen routes, so in the future bunkering may be possible
at many locations.

natural gas is used as fuel for triality’s slow speed main engines, auxiliary
engines and auxiliary steam boilers. the 13 500 m 3 lng fuel tank capacity
gives the vessel a range of 25 000 nautical miles.

10 triAlity vlcc
A ballast-free design
A conventional vlcc carries
sea water as ballast in transit in
unloaded condition and during
loading and discharging in port.
ballast water is used by all vlccs today for two purposes:
• to achieve sufficient draft and suitable trim
• to control hull stress levels
the ballast operations have two main unwanted effects:
• ballast water may contain organisms that can cause damage when released
into foreign ecosystems. this is why the imo has established the
international convention for the control and management of ships’
ballast water and sediments. expensive ballast treatment systems will
also increase fuel consumption.
• Additional fuel is needed to transport 80–100 000 tons of ballast
water.
triality has a ballast-free design with the following characteristics:
i. new transverse cargo tank divisions enable cargo tanks to be loaded
without the need for ballast for strength or trim/heel compensation
ii. the new v-shaped hull form provides sufficient draft without cargo or
ballast
iii. the new hull shape has a mean average of 16% less wet surface on a
roundtrip, a lower block coefficient and is 11% more energy efficient

the new hull shape is designed for sufficient draft, even in an empty condition.
new cargo tank divisions eliminate the need for ballast, including during cargo
operations.

12 triAlity vlcc
Using the low LNG
temperature to capture cargo
vapours that are otherwise lost
the global fleet of crude oil
tankers is estimated to emit five
million tons of cargo vapours annually
during transit.
the low temperature associated with lng vaporization is used to capture
cargo vapours (volatile organic compounds – vocs) normally released
to the air during voyage. it is estimated that up to 500-600 tons of cargo
vapours can be captured during each cargo roundtrip.
the recovered cargo vapours are stored in deck tanks and intended for
use as fuel for auxiliary boilers supplying steam to operate cargo pumps.
significant financial losses are avoided and environmental benefits are
gained.

triality uses the low lng temperature to capture cargo vapours otherwise lost to
the atmosphere. this reduces the annual fuel consumption by eight per cent.

14 triAlity vlcc
Using the low LNG
temperature to cool
scavenging air to main engines
the cooling energy from the
lng glycol circuit may be used
for different cooling purposes
in a ship.
the low temperature from the lng vaporization and pressure build up
process can be used for various purposes. the glycol circuit is at the heart
of this process.
triality uses cooling energy primarily for voc re-condensation but also
to cool scavenging air for the main engines. this will increase efficiency
by up to three per cent. the remaining cooling effect can be used for
the fresh water cooling of the engines. the glycol circuit must be kept
at a temperature above minus 40°c to avoid freezing. sea water heat
exchangers have also been included to provide additional heating when
needed. the low lng temperature may also be used for other purposes
like air conditioning, freezers, fridges and so on.

don’t underestimate the value of cooling. the scavenging air cooling may provide
an energy efficiency gain of up to three per cent.

16 triAlity vlcc
Is it possible to go green
and be profitable?
the financial performance of
triality is evaluated with respect
to investment and voyage cost,
compared to a conventional
vlcc run on hfo with a ballast
water treatment (bwt) system
and an exhaust gas scrubber.
the shipping industry is facing an ever increasing demand to reduce its
environmental footprint. for ships built before 2016, the present challenge
is to comply with ballast water and emission requirements.
we have estimated that triality has a significantly smaller environmental
footprint than a conventional vlcc run on hfo with a ballast water treatment
system (bwts) and an exhaust gas scrubber (conventional vlcc).
the question then is: is it possible to go green and be profitable? the
short answer is yes – triality is more profitable than a conventional vlcc.
the financial analysis (investment cost versus voyage costs for different
fuel price scenarios ) shows that triality:
• improves the expected present value before tax by mUsd 24 in the
reference fuel price scenario (this corresponds to around 20% of the
investment cost for a conventional vlcc)
• is profitable until the lng price reaches Usd 15 per mmbtu in the
reference oil price scenario
• is more profitable than a conventional vlcc except in the low oil price
scenario
these points are substantiated on the following pages.

even with different investment
scenarios there are good margins
in favour of triality.
Steel -1.3
LNG Tanks & Systems
-15.7
Engines & Boilers
-3.9
VOC Systems & Tanks -3.0
Cool Air -0.1
Coating
+0.4
Scrubber
+4.4
Ballast System
Recuced Voyage Costs
TRIALITY
+4.8
figure 1: triality cost structure compared to
a conventional vlcc.
Triality improves expected present value before tax
by MUSD 24 in the reference fuel price scenario
over 20 years triality improves expected present value by mUsd 24 compared
to the conventional vlcc in the reference fuel price scenario. the
chart below shows how the triality cost structure differs from a conventional
vlcc. in short, triality increases the initial investment by mUsd 14
and reduces the voyage costs by mUsd 38.
Expected present value before tax compared to a conventional VLCC run on HFO (MUSD)
-30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0
MUSD 14 in extra investments
+38.2
+24.2

18 triAlity vlcc
figure 2: lng breakeven price for different price scenarios
Triality is profitable until the LNG price reaches USD
15 per MMbtu in the reference fuel price scenario
triality is profitable with an lng price up to Usd 15 per mmbtu given the
reference oil price scenario. given high and low oil price scenarios the
expected breakeven price is Usd 26 and Usd 6 per mmbtu respectively.
the chart below shows the difference in present value before tax (∆pv
b.t.) between triality and the conventional vlcc as a function of lng
and oil price.
PV b.t. between TRIALITY and conv. VLCC on HFO (MUSD)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
-120
-140
-160
-180
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Start price of LNG long-term bunker contract (USD/MMbtu)
HIGH
REFERENCE OIL PRICE SCENARIO
LOW
Breakeven

figure 3: triality financial performance for different fuel
price scenarios.
TRIALITY IS BEST
Oil price (USD/MMbtu) LNG price (USD/MMbtu)
L
L
L
R
R
R
H
H
H
PV b.t. from conp. to the conv. VLCC (MUSD) Payback time (yrs)
2010-35 2010-35 -100.0 -50.0 0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 0.0 -5.0 10.0 15.0 >20.0
L
R
H
L
R
H
L
R
H
Triality is more profitable than the conventional
VLCC except in the low oil price scenario
so far we have mainly discussed the financial performance given the reference
fuel price scenario. there are major uncertainties connected with
fuel price developments. the figure below gives a more detailed view of
fuel price scenarios, present values and the payback time on marginal
investment (mUsd 14). triality is more profitable than the conventional
vlcc in the reference (r) and high (h) oil price scenarios irrespective of
the lng price scenario. the present value before tax is mUsd 9–129.
the payback time on marginal investment is 6–16 years.
MUSD 24

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