Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) and France’s GTT claim to have moved a step closer to the shipowners’ dream – ballast-free shipping.

The Chinese shipbuilder and the French cargo containment system designer have just received approval in principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for their 30,000-cbm B-FREE LNG carrier design.

The duo claim the innovative design has several advantages over conventional designs, combining environmentally-friendly features with increased efficiency as well as predicted lower build and operating costs.