Ship-to-Shore Transfer System - Exemplary Technology developed by IMPaC
Up to five independent hybrid loading arms provide the required transfer capacity (up to 10,000 m3/h) and redundancy. These loading systems are especially suited to transfer cryogenic fluids, like LNG, ammonia even liquid hydrogen (-253°C resp. 20 K) with all required safety features. The new developed system operates without swivels which reduces high risk of leakages.
The new transfer system SOTLL (Sideways Offshore Transfer of LNG) enables the ship-to-ship transfer of cryogenic fluids in a side-by-side configuration in open sea conditions. The system thus closes the technological gap between the more challenging cargo transfer in tandem configuration, which is considered and suitable for use in harsh environments and the cargo transfer via rigid loading arms, which should only be used in benign conditions in ports, bays or other sheltered waters.
Compared to rigid loading arms the new SOTLL system requires less deck space and less deck substructure as it works with only one crane instead of 4 to 5 rigid loading arms which also reduces the maintenance effort. The required flexibility for ship-to-ship transfer in open sea conditions is achieved by the use of corrugated pipes certified up to 16-inch ID (EN-1474-2) providing a monitored double containment system for highest safety standards. Thus, no fluid swivels are required with the SOTLL system. Nevertheless, in the rare case of a malfunction a pipe can be easily replaced by a spare in short notice, guaranteeing an optimal uptime of the
SOTLL transfer system.