The findings of the JIP will be used to further develop safety and standards and guidelines for such installations, and DNV GL stated that there is still time for other companies to join the project.
The JIP announcement comes as LNG adoption is gaining traction within the market, but also closely follows an LNG bunkering leak on a Norwegian ferry.
A senior executive from a major ship manager described the Norwegian ferry incident as concerning, adding that the industry needed establish procedures for LNG bunkering as soon as possible to ensure a major incident did not happen.
DNV GL has already launched a Recommended Practice to provide guidance on safe LNG bunkering, which coincided with major LNG exporter Qatar's announcement of a supply strategy for LNG as a marine fuel. Having ordered a series of LNG-ready ultra-large containerships, part-Qatar-owned United Arab Shipping Corp (UASC) is expected to establish an LNG bunkering hub in Qatar.
"DNV GL is teaming up with industry partners to simulate several credible failure scenarios at small-scale LNG bunkering and filling stations at our Spadeadam test centre in the UK. This will generate valuable data to create well-verified and approved models which accurately predict the behaviour of LNG in any type of system failure," said Mohammad Ahmad, project manager, DNV GL.
The experiments at Spadeadam further understanding of LNG behaviours such as discharge, vaporisation, dispersion and flammable effects following a system failure such as a puncture/rupture of a transfer hose or catastrophic rupture of a storage tank. The project will provide information needed to carry out a quantitative risk assessment for bunkering procedures.
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