An economic evaluation of operating expenditures for LNG fuel gas supply systems onboard ocean-going ships considering availability

This paper proposes a methodology for economic evaluations of liquefied natural gas fuel gas supply (LNG–FGS) systems. To evaluate the economics of various LNG–FGS systems, expected operating expenditures during long-term voyages were compared, including the loss from venting boil-off gas (BOG) to prevent overpressurisation of the fuel tank, penalties for venting BOG, expenses for consuming marine diesel oil when LNG–FGS systems are unavailable, and expenses for electricity consumption. A secondary objective was to compare the economics of various LNG–FGS systems for large-sized ships. An analysis demonstrated that the comparative operational expenditures vary considerably within various design options. Three LNG–FGS systems were compared. As a case study, an Aframax tanker (a highly popular crude carrier) was chosen, and the actual voyage scenario between Ulsan and Antwerp was used for …