Bestobell Marine, a manufacturer of cryogenic valves, has secured an order for its cryogenic globe and check valves for the second LNG carrier in the Yamal series of vessels being built at DSME shipyard in South Korea.
After successfully winning the contract to supply cryogenic valves to the first vessel that will be owned and operated by Russian company Sovcomflot, the company proved it had the expertise and capabilities to supply the second Yamal vessel, which will be owned and operated by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). It will be used as a “test” vessel to see how the ship and on-board equipment perform in Siberian winter sea conditions. There will be a total of fifteen ships built in this series for three different owners: MOL, Teekay (Canada) and Dynagas (Greece) in what is currently the largest single series of LNG carriers on order.
Bestobell Marine’s cryogenic globe and check valves will be used in the cargo handling system on the vessel, including the main discharge line throttling valves that control the initial flow of LNG from the cargo tanks when pumping first starts. The on-deck valves will be subject to extreme sub-zero temperatures, operating in ambient temperatures as low as -54 degrees Celsius. This is not an issue as Bestobell’s cryogenic valves operate down to -196 degrees Celsius.
The news about the new contract follows Bestobell Marine recently obtaining full type approval from the main four international class societies for its range of globe and check cryogenic valves. Here, DNV-GL, Lloyds Register, Bureau Veritas and American Bureau of Shipping all approved Bestobell’s valves for use in cryogenic marine applications, which includes valves used in cargo systems on LNG carriers and bunker vessels, LNG fuel gas systems, LNG regasification systems and LNG reliquefaction systems.
Bestobell Marine’s cryogenic globe valves are fully fire safe and leak-free, as they are based on a tried and trusted design that has been in use for over a decade in LNG ship applications. The company has over 35,000 cryogenic valves fitted on ships and has recently developed a new range of high pressure globe valves that are fitted in LNG fuel gas systems for MAN ME-GI engines, where natural gas is injected into the engine at over 300bar pressure.