BASF and Hevester reach another milestone in fast-growing cryogenic industry

Using BASF Elastopor® Cryo as the material of low temperature thermal insulation system
April 14, 2022 - By adopting BASF's Elastopor® Cryo solution, Shanghai Hevester Thermal Insulation Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Hevester") low temperature thermal insulation system has been successfully applied to the first super large ship Liquefied Ethane Carrier (VLEC) and delivered to Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., one of China's leading shipbuilding companies. The excellent durability of Elastopor ensures that the vessel remains insulated under the harsh conditions at sea. Therefore, liquid cargoes can be kept at a certain low temperature during transportation and arrive safely at the port.

Rohit Ghosh, Business Director of BASF Asia Pacific Performance Materials Construction Industry, said: "The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) industries have grown strongly in recent years, especially China's growing demand for clean energy. One of the service providers of low temperature insulation systems, Hi West has once again successfully achieved a milestone together."

In 2019, BASF and Hiwest signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop polyurethane (PU) thermal insulation solutions for the low temperature industry and shipbuilding industry in China. According to the agreement, Hiwest will use BASF products (Elastopir®, Elastopor, Elastospray®, Elastocoat®) for liquid natural gas (minus 164 degrees Celsius), liquefied ethane gas (LEG) or liquefied petroleum cargo tanks, fuel tanks and pipelines for gas carriers, offshore projects and liquefied natural gas terminal projects.

Cheng Zhenfeng, chairman of Hevester, said: "Hevester has been committed to the low-temperature insulation industry, exploring system solutions in product development, production, installation, etc., and successfully serving as a reference in the future. Hevester will continue to Cooperate with BASF to provide better products and services for domestic and foreign customers."

The world's first super-large liquefied ethane carrier was designed and built by Jiangnan Shipyard, with a total length of 230 meters and a tank capacity of 99,000 cubic meters. It can carry liquefied ethane gas (minus 104 degrees Celsius), liquefied petroleum gas ( -40 degrees Celsius) and other cryogenic liquid cargoes. This type of ship is equipped with a dual-fuel main engine power generation system that can use ethane as fuel to meet the environmental protection emission requirements that will take effect in 2030.