German refrigeration specialist, Linde Group, has won a $50 million order from shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries for “on-board, boil-off gas reliquefaction” plant on five carriers of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

Linde business Cryostar won the deal to get its equipment aboard the modern 265,000-cubic- metre membrane tankers by 2008. The carriers are destined for the LNG trade between Qatar and the United States, andwill be the largest ever built.

The new carriers will keep gas onboard at minus 163 degrees Celsius, with gas incidentally evaporated cooled back into liquid cargo.

“The on-board reliquefaction of boil-off gas on LNG tankers with slow speed diesel propulsion makes these carriers highly economic for long distance travel,” a statement said, referring to the comparative costs of dieseal engines versus those burning a portion of cargo.

ws@oilgas24.com