A specialised carrier named after Bahrain, designed to carry LNG as well as liquefied petroleum gas and other petrochemical-based gasses, will sail into the kingdom next month.

Bahrain Vision, owned by I M Skaugen SE, was delivered to the company in June.

It is already on its maiden voyage to various parts of the world after having sailed from Saudi Arabia's Al Jubail port, said senior company official Hans Verswijver.

"The vessel is specialised to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) and ethylene, among other gases and chemicals," Verswijver said.

I M Skaugen SE is one of the companies in contention for the Bahrain LNG project and the winning bidder is scheduled to be named by the end of the year.

Verswijver, who is the company's Bahrain project manager, said the vessel was also fitted with re-liquefaction facilities for LNG.

"The vessel will be officially christened Bahrain Vision during a ceremony at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port and a date will be finalised soon," Verswijver said. "The timing now only depends upon minor changes in the vessel's schedule."

He said another vessel, Norgas Innovation, was also delivered shortly after Bahrain Vision and loaded its first LNG cargo in Norway.

"Both the Bahrain Vision and Norgas Innovation are two of 10 specialised ships that have been designed to not only carry LNG, but also liquefied petroleum gas and other petrochemical-based gasses," he said.

Verswijver said the ships' cargo handling systems were able to transport two grades simultaneously in a fully segregated manner.

"The cargo tanks can handle carriage temperatures as low as -163C and pressures as high as 5.2 barG (gauge pressure)," he said. "Irrespective of the LNG being carried, cargo boil-off gas on both vessels can be re-liquefied on board and returned to the tanks. When LNG is being carried, an innovative patented mini-LNG plant is engaged to re-liquefy all the natural gas boil-off vapours.”

"There are also a nitrogen plant and deck tanks to enable efficient purging of cargo tanks and facilitate change of grade operations independent of shore facilities or infrastructure," he added. – TradeArabia News Service