News

Paris, 22 September 2026 – At Gastech 2026, GTT Energy, the Group business unit dedicated to containment and energy management systems, unveiled a series of innovations aimed at improving the economic, energy and environmental performance of liquefied gas shipping.

Among these, GTT Energy announced the launch of two offerings (see press release dated 15 September 2026): a next-generation LNG[1] fuel containment solution, engineered to enhance the vessel’s overall economic performance, and the LNG Performance Centre, a new service ecosystem dedicated to LNG carriers. Designed to provide ship-owners, charterers and crews with greater visibility over vessel operations, the LNG Performance Centre brings together three areas of expertise: cargo management, voyage optimisation and containment system performance monitoring.
 

Beyond these two announcements, GTT also presented several developments reflecting its ongoing commitment to continuous innovation:
 

Optimising LNG carrier performance

• 174,000 m³ LNG carrier with GTT NEXT1^®: GTT and Hudong-Zhonghua received Approvals in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, China Classification Society, DNV and Lloyd’s Register for a 174,000 m³ liquefied natural gas carrier equipped with GTT NEXT1^® membrane technology. The design enables a guaranteed boil-off rate of 0.07%, improving overall vessel efficiency.
• 200,000 m³ LNG carrier with hybrid-electric propulsion: GTT, Shell and Lloyd’s Register announced a Joint Development Project for a conceptual 200,000 m³ LNG carrier combining hybrid-electric propulsion with GTT NEXT1® cargo containment technology. The concept is designed to explore opportunities to enhance LNG carrying capacity, improve operational efficiency and offer flexibility for evolving regulatory requirements.
• 7.5-year dry docking interval: GTT received an Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register for a 7.5-year dry-docking interval for LNG carriers equipped with GTT membrane containment systems, extending the standard five-year interval. This longer maintenance interval could increase vessel availability while reducing maintenance requirements and associated costs, without compromising safety or reliability standards.
• Terminal compatibility: A study conducted by GTT and Lloyd’s Register Advisory confirmed the compatibility of 200,000 m³ liquefied natural gas carriers with the majority of existing liquefied natural gas terminals. The findings support the potential to increase cargo capacity and transportation efficiency without requiring fundamental changes to existing terminal infrastructure.

Advancing liquefied ethane transportation 

• 150,000 m³ ultra-large ethane carrier (ULEC): GTT, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Lloyd’s Register launched a Joint Development Project to develop and technically assess a 150,000 m³ ultra-large ethane carrier incorporating GTT’s Mark III Slim technology. The project aims to address the requirements of a new generation of higher-capacity ethane carriers.
• 100,500 m³ very large ethane carrier (VLEC): GTT and Hudong-Zhonghua received an Approval in Principle from DNV for a 100,500 m³ very large ethane carrier equipped with GTT’s NO96 Super+ containment system. The vessel also features a bi-oblique No. 4 tank designed to optimise available space and maximise cargo capacity.

Reducing the environmental footprint of GTT technologies

• 2 barg[2] membrane technology for LNG fueled containerships: GTT received an Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register for its 2 barg membrane technology, specifically designed for container ships, following an earlier Approval in Principle from Bureau Veritas at SMM 2026. Developed to address shore-power operation and increasingly stringent environmental requirements, the solution extends holding time in port with minimal or no gas consumption.
• Lower-global-warming-potential insulation: An innovative hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) insulation solution with improved thermal performance, developed by Dongsung Finetec, successfully completed all qualification and certification stages under GTT’s evaluation process. This milestone supports GTT’s transition away from hydrofluorocarbon blowing agents towards alternatives with a very low global warming potential used in its membrane containment technologies.