South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries has designed an LNG-fuelled VLCC that will also use wind power.
Class society Lloyd's Register has approved the eco-prototype, which will use a combination of volatile organic compounds (VOC) mixed with LNG as fuel.
The ship will come fitted with Norsepower’s rotor sails for wind-assisted propulsion.
The VOC recovery system was developed by HHI and allows the tanker to use fuel produced from naturally-occurring vapour from the cargo tank during operation.
Tests have shown the rotor sails have the potential to cut fuel use by between 5% and 7%, dependent on operating routes.
Hong-Ryeul Ryu, vice president of HHI's design office, said: “We have focused on developing clean and smart ships that are technically reliable and commercially feasible.
"We are doing our best to design advanced ships that will benefit shipowners and lead eco-friendly shipping. We believe that these efforts will bring us a step closer to the future.”
Nick Brown, Lloyd's Register's marine and offshore director, added: "This LNG-fuelled VLCC is a clear step towards meeting the IMO’s 2050 GHG [greenhouse gas] goal.”
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