ABS, the classification society that pioneered the establishment of safety standards for the carriage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has been selected to assist the partnership of EnerSea Transport(Houston, Texas), Hyundai Heavy Industries (Korea) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line) in developing vessels designed to carry compressed natural gas (CNG). ABS will be providing "class approval in principle" of Enersea's VOTRANS (Volume Optimized Transport Storage) compressed natural gas vessel concept to the ABS classification requirements.

Recognizing the complexities of incorporating these CNG technologies into the application of transportation and storage of the gas, EnerSea has chosen not only to use the classification resources of ABS, but also the risk management and risk assessment services of ABSG Consulting to address the overall risks associated with the design, construction and operation of the vessels using both quantitative and qualitative studies.

"In development of a novel concept such as the one developed by EnerSea, the use of risk assessment techniques will be key in assisting class to verify that the vessel is designed and constructed to achieve the highest safety levels as well as provide for optimum performance," said Chris Serratella, Chief Engineer of ABS Consulting.

As the owner and operator of EnerSea's next generation of gas ships, "K" Line Director Hisashi Yasui said, "Our operations experience coupled with this innovative technology and the classification experience and guidance from ABS promises to be an industry-winning combination in natural gas transportation."